Zucchini Harvest

Sunday morning I pulled these out of the garden. I took two from the “Black Beauty” and one from a generic labeled simply “Zucchini Squash.” Both were from nursery starts I picked up at Capital Nursery.

Here’s how they looked April 29 going into the ground.

Within a couple of hours I’d baked one into this golden loaf of zucchini bread. I used a basic recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. Before long, when temperatures hover in the high nineties and threaten to spike into the hundreds, I won’t want to turn on the oven for any reason so I plan to get my fill of this early in the growing season.

Here, the remaining two sit brushed with olive oil awaiting their turn on the grill. With four zucchini plants producing already and two more I planted from seed this morning, we’ll likely be able to enjoy them prepared this way through September. Next harvest I’ll probably make some Zucchini Fritters as my 8-year-old son has already requested them.

Here are some seeds I started Sunday. The cucumbers and basil seed I bought last year. I’ve had good success with leftover seed in the past so I’m optimistic they’ll sprout. The “Romanesco” Italian Zucchini I bought this year and have one already producing in the garden. Although I haven’t harvested any, they are really pretty.