Zucchini.

The fun just never ends, does it?

Sure, you can shred it to make cake, or frittata, or moist, raisin-packed muffins.

You can turn it into a restaurant-style (think bloomin’ onion) appetizer.

Zucchini-Cheese Pancakes?

I’m so there.

Still, each of these recipes probably uses just one zucchini. Or maybe two small ones.

When what you really need, at this time of year, is something that actually makes a dent in the zuke supply.

The horn of plenty has suddenly become the horn of too much – what’s a gardener/baker to do?

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You know what the nice thing about zucchini is?

Ummmmm….

Well, for one thing, you don’t have to peel it.

And it’s got a pretty neutral flavor, so it doesn’t clash with the tomatoes on your shish-kebab, or the onions and Parmesan in your frittata.

Plus it grows really, really easily.

And very, very fast.

To say nothing of extremely large.

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Zucchini. Coconut.

Not a familiar pairing, you say?

Well, maybe not to those of us who grew up knowing only enough about zucchini, a.k.a. “summer squash,” to dislike it.

And those whose only thought of coconut was a Mounds bar.

But for the younger foodies out there, zucchini and coconut go together as naturally as strawberries, bean sprouts, and avocado.

Or chocolate and gingerbread. Lime and mint.

How about pumpkin and Parmesan?

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Paula Deen does it.

Allrecipes.com does it.

Taste of Home, cdkitchen, and food.com all do it.

Even LiveStrong does it.

But sometimes, King Arthur Flour just does it better.

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Zucchini muffins.

Check.

Zucchini bread.

Check.

Zucchini chocolate cake, and cookies, and caponata, and frittata, and dip, and…

Check, check, and double check.

Is there anything, any combination of zukes, flour, eggs, and herbs and spices and sugar and butter and [fill in the blank] we haven’t thrown together to put a dent in the ever-growing pile of zucchini outside the back door?

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Today, class, it being late July and all, we’re going to examine our zucchini facts:

•Zucchini is always at the end of any A-to-Z food list;
•Zucchini and fruitcake are the undeserving targets of many a joke;
•The zucchini plant literally grows like a weed, making it absolutely ubiquitous in vegetable gardens across America;
•And for that reason, enterprising cooks have discovered ways to turn it into muffins, and cake, and pancakes, and…

Baked Zucchini Sticks.

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zuc·chi·ni [zoo-kee-nee]  –noun, plural -ni, -nis.
1. a variety of summer squash that is shaped like a cucumber and that has a smooth, dark-green skin.
2. the plant bearing this fruit.
Also called, especially British, courgette.

Zucchini. Courgette. What fancy names for this least fancy member of your backyard garden!

Zucchini is easy to grow. And even easier to grow REALLY BIG. read the rest of this entry »