In Praise of Zucchini
One of the most maligned vegetables in the world. And one of the finest.
What is there not to love about zucchini? Sure,Dave Barry can write funny columns about it, as have many other humorists, but they are just going for the cheap shot. Slow news day, nothing else to write about so go for the cliche.
Nothing rivals zucchini sauted with onions in olive oil or butter or a bit of both, seasoned with salt, pepper and tarragon. It is essential that you never put a lid on it and that you cook it at a relatively high temperature so that it browns, the juices caramelizing rather than just weeping into the pan and making a soggy mess. For the same reason I prefer a cast iron skillet over either aluminim or non-stick coated pans.
And one of the beauties of the zucchini plant is that it keeps producing. And producing, and producing. . . But that is okay because I love zuchinni. When I don't have it in the garden. I go and buy it.
I do have one problem with zucchini and that is the worm that gets into the stem -- stem borers. So while everyone else is having a bountiful harvest, I am watching my vines wilt and fade. It makes me so sad. And there is the issue of the fruit growing so fast that it is easy to miss one and let it grow into a canoe size veggie. Then it is no longer my favorite, I confess. The trick (other than a hot pan) is to pick them while they are young and tender. Too many gardeners wait too long to pick them.
I also love them raw, either in salad or just plain, sort of like cucumber. They don't even need salt.
Wow! This sounds so good I think I'll go out into the garden right now and see if there are any for me to pick. And I will take my sharpest knife and see if there are any stem borers that I can kill. (I know there are, as I was gardening yesterday and saw their telltale sawdust leavings.)
I even prefer zucchini to the yellow crooked neck squash. The skin stays tenderer and the seeds don't get as big and tough. Did I mention that I now have a tarragon plant in my herb garden? What a treat.
Comments
I too love zuchini. Especially sauteed but also in bread with butter spread on it. Now that we have moved we are walking distance to Trader Joe's...the best grocery store I've ever been to, where the frozen produce is better than any fresh produce in regular grocery stores. I've also got some Ginger Bears here that are gummy bears with ginger in them and my favorite coconut date rolls. I saw Kumqwats and thought of Mara so I'm gonna try those:)
Food is such an important part of life in the Dornbrook family. I am realing that it is one of the most important ways of socializing.
I know Nathan has it the best with his markets, but I feel pretty lucky too:)
Posted by: Rachael | July 11, 2004 8:56 PM
You know, Rae,I have read about a fish market in the DC area that I think would rival anything Nae has. The other thing is maybe to take a Sunday ride into the countryside and look for farmers trucks pulled off the road. Remember the truck on the way to Popop's? He had the best cantalopes ever. As a matter of fact, I don't ever buy them in the store because I have tasted those. And the fresh tomatoes and corn fresh from the stalk and cukes and zukes. Makes my mouth water to even think of it. Look and you shall find.
Posted by: maman | July 11, 2004 9:06 PM
After some thought, I agree that Zucchini may be one of the most despised vegetables (it fits in the top five among brussel sprouts, brocoli, asparagus, lima beans and beets); however I disagree that it is one of the finest vegetables. It may indeed be a fine vegetable, there there are many that are far superior...in my book anyhow. For example...artichokes, asparagus, spinach, turnips, breen beans, peas (all sorts), leeks, tomatoes, and so on and so forth.
You see what happens when no one posts or comments for days! I am forced to nitpick :0
I stand by my statement regardless of my comnfession to nitpicking...zucchini is a second tier vegetable!
Posted by: Rae | July 14, 2004 9:10 PM
Hmmm. I admit that I prefer zucchini, here referred to as courgette, to it's yellow crook-necked cousin; however, I much prefer patty-pans to either. I sautee them in butter (Derrygold) with onions, salt and pepper, just as you do to courgette.
I prefer asparagus, but not green beans, snow peas but not turnips, Jerusalem artichokes but not potatoes, spinach but not lettuce, and prefer leeks, onions, garlic, yellow peppers, tomatoes, and acorn squash to zucchini.
You must give zucchini credit for having two consecutive c's in its name, however.
I really looked forward to when we would get the patty-pans in in summer. We used to have them almost every night.
And artichokes are still my favorite all time vegetable - such a pain to prepare, such a slim reward for the effort and so delectable. They'd even be healthy, too, if I could keep from making a litre of Hollandaise each time I steam artichokes.
Posted by: Nathan Dornbrook | July 19, 2004 6:40 PM
One of my favorite things about zucchini is the ease of preparing them. I suppose green beans are a faster cook, but they have to be picked, washed, topped and tailed, then steamed. Zucchini, you pick (faster than green beans), wash (faster than green beans), slice (faster than topping and tailing) and throw into a pan. And I must say, the fresh tarragon is a really fine addition. The sweet, slightly crisp edge of the caramelized zuke! Yum!
Posted by: Mendon | July 24, 2004 7:45 AM