Zucchini highs and lows....

I really like Zucchini. Chopped fresh with some veggie dip, grilled, in the form of bread, etc. I was so excited to see all the flowers on the plants. They were huge and beautiful and producing like crazy. Then... the borers came. Sigh. No more zucchini. The plants are all but dead. Is Monsanto working on any Bt Zucchini plants? I'd really like to prevent losing my zucchini in the future,so that would be awesome.

Two weeks ago I made zucchini bread for my entire team. Yep. My four direct reports and one of my work friends. They loved it. But, the zucchini bread used very little zucchini, so I've got to use it in some receipes!

Tonight's dinner was my Zucchini Enchilada Bake.

It is essentially my enchiladas with zucchini replacing the tortillas and it becomes more like lasagna.

Ingredients:
3 medium zucchini cut lengthwise
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Salsa
1 lb ground turkey
Taco seasoning
Onion
Shredded cheese

So, I just used an extra large zucchini, but it was a little short when it came to layering. I generally boil it prior to putting it in the oven (which is preheated to 350)

I also browned all my turkey, onions, seasoning together.

You mix the tomato soup, cream of mushroom and salsa together. The salsa is probably just to taste, around 3/4 to 1 cup. I then spread a little of the mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Follow that with zucchini, a layer of meat, sauce cheese. Then repeat.

Bake for about 15 minutes.

It's pretty good, but doesn't always hold up on a plate:

That's all for tonight. I sure wish my tomatoes would turn red. The rest of the garden is also continuing to grow...just no updates on mature produce.

Another Love: Spaghetti Squash

Ok, I have to admit that I am still a little annoyed that the spaghetti squash has taken over my garden. But, I am also very excited that I've started seeing some results.

Spaghetti squash is an awesome vegetable substitution for pasta. I wouldn't mix it with pasta, because it's not EXACTLY the same thing, but it's close enough to give you the texture you want, without the added carbs.

I picked one spaghetti squash last week, but failed to take a picture of it. But, here are two more from the garden today. (There are also about 10 mid-sized ones out there, that should be nice and huge by the time I get back from traveling next week.)

So, what do I do with spaghetti squash? Oh lots of things! I can't wait to share! Standard cooking:

Cut it in half length-wise
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Empty out all the seeds and excess stuff (think like a pumpkin).
Set the Spaghetti squash cut side down in a 9x13 pan with a little water.
Puncture skin with a knife to allow heat in.
Cook for 40 minutes.
Pull from oven and shred. If you want it hot, serve immediately.

I was a little nervous about the one I picked last week, so I went ahead and changed dinner plans to not hinge on it working out. To my pleasant surprise, it actually turned out AWESOME. It was a little young, which resulted in more "angel hair" spaghetti squash vs. the normal stuff that is a little thicker.

So, I decided to make a little pasta salad to accompany my lunches this week. YUM! Here's how it turned out:

I guess I have a little bit of my grandma in me, because I dont usually measure things when I make things on the fly. But this is what's included if you want to try it yourself:

Spaghetti squash
Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
Italian Seasoning
Artichoke hearts
Black Olives
Tomatoes

Mix ingredients, serve chilled.

Enjoy! Oh - and stay tuned for my lesson on what happens when you plant Zucchini and Spaghetti Squash too close together.