Best ways to use up abundant produce

[Dragonfiremule]

I love using zucchini in soups; I use the base (carrots, onions, celery) and then add as much zucchini as will fit in the pot. It absorbs all the delicious flavors from the stock and adds more body to the soup. Its delicious! Zucchini bread is also one of my favorites; I make it almost like pumpkin bread but use zucchini instead. Zucchini also is great in cake; just use a carrot cake recipe and replace the carrot with zucchini.
Thinking about it, I use a lot of zucchini. Its just such a versatile vegetable! It tastes great by itself but also absorbs other flavors really well.

 

[lukeout007]

The zucchini brownies are excellent I reccomend then 100%.
What do you do with tons of tomatoes that are about to spoil?

Why not make a big batch of pasta sauce and freeze it?

 

[ACSAPA]

The zucchini brownies are excellent I reccomend then 100%.
What do you do with tons of tomatoes that are about to spoil?

You could make a healthy juice drink with them.

 

[blueeyes]

I absolutely love zucchini bread and will definitely have to give the brownies a try. I don't grow zucchini but my roommates son does, so I'm hoping we can get some from him...hehe

Hi Acsapa - the tomato juice looks really good and I'm passing that on to my roommate's son. He has tons and tons of tomatoes this year.

 

[morlogs]

Just speaking specifically about zucchini, I love zucchini bread!! My mom used to make it all the time when I was a little girl. So delicious. I have not had it in years. Mentioning it right now makes me want to make some, but I don't have the recipe. I'll have to look it up on line and hope that the recipe that I use produces a good final product.

This is the first time that I have heard about zucchini brownies. They sound good too.

Ahhh....Zucchini Bread. Still hot with lots of butter. What a blast from the childhood past. I miss my mommy!

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

apparently I was a deprived child, because my Mom never made zucchini bread - I might have to find a recipe and try it myself

 

[lemonzest]

Seconding the recommendations of soups above, you can make hot or cold soups AND they freeze well so you don't have to get sick of them by eating them all at once

 

[zigs]

Been doing an experiment, sliced some courgettes thick and thin, covered them with salt over night & then drained the liquid off in the morning.

Put them on a tray to Sun dry.

Thought the thicker slices were not going to make it, but after a week and turning once, they're perfectly preserved.

Might try the same with a Marrow now

 

[lemonzest]

How do they taste!? They look good

 

[Annetteb]

I miss zucchini bread too.I remember the first time my mom made it. I was reluctant to eat it because I had never had zucchini before. I took one bite and I was in love. I have been a fan of zucchini bread ever since. I would love to have a recipe so that I can make my own.

 

[zigs]

They taste salty, unless you lob them in a soup, don't notice the salt then, as long as you don't add any more while cooking.

 

[zigs]

I miss zucchini bread too.I remember the first time my mom made it. I was reluctant to eat it because I had never had zucchini before. I took one bite and I was in love. I have been a fan of zucchini bread ever since. I would love to have a recipe so that I can make my own.

Not thought of that, might give it a go, did it have big lumps in or was it finely chopped?

 

[Annetteb]

It was finely chopped because there were no lumps at all. I couldn't belive how good it tasted and I love eating it. I just would like to have a recipe so that I can make my own. I want to see if I can make it as good as my mom.

 

[ChanellG]

It was finely chopped because there were no lumps at all. I couldn't belive how good it tasted and I love eating it. I just would like to have a recipe so that I can make my own. I want to see if I can make it as good as my mom.

There are plenty of recipes online; have you tried Google? I've never made it, and not sure if I've even tried it, but I would imagine it would be better to use grated zucchini rather than to chop it. That way you'd have a more even texture throughout rather than bread with these chunks of vegetable in it.

 

[happyflowerlady]

One of the things that I have done with leftover zucchini is to make sweet relish with it. It works just as well as cucumber does, tastes about the same, and will keep well. Then, you have plenty of relish for sandwiches all winter long.

When I run out of ways to use tomatoes, or just plain get tired of eating them, I get out the dehydrator and dry them. I slice them thin, add salt and pepper, and lay them on the dehydrator racks to dry. They work perfectly in any recipe that calls for either fresh, canned or sun dried tomatoes, and are so delicious, you can eat some for a snack.