Spiced Zucchini Muffins and Other Tasty Recipes are a Great Way to Use Some of Your Garden’s Zucchini Harvest

I always plant zucchini in my veggie garden – most times the heirloom variety Black Beauty. This year, instead of the usual one or two plants, I have six.  I want to have a lot of zucchini this year so I can make plenty of zucchini relish, bread and butter zucchini pickles, and some amazing zucchini muffins, which I can store in the freezer and thaw them out as needed. Zucchini bread is great, but with just two of us in the family, muffins seem to work out a little better.

My hopes for lots of zucchini is happening – seriously! I have been picking two or three every day or two. I have made some zucchini relish and the muffins. We have also had grilled zucchini, sautéed zucchini, curried chicken with zucchini noodles, pan-fried zucchini patties, zucchini crust pizza, and more – all delicious!

Most of the time I start with a recipe that I have found online, but I never follow them, rather I use them for inspiration and modify them to include ingredients I use regularly or have on hand. I also use organic ingredients whenever possible. Even my husband loves these recipes. Here are some of them:

Shredded Zucchini

Ingredients

Finished Muffins

 Spiced Zucchini Muffins

(inspired by Chow.com)

Yield: 24 muffins

Ingredients:

3 Cups shredded and packed organic zucchini

2 Cups organic all-purpose flour

1 Cup organic whole wheat flour

1 ½ Teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ Teaspoons organic ground cinnamon

1 Teaspoon baking soda

½ Teaspoon nutmeg

½ Teaspoon sea salt

4 Large eggs (my homegrown were not quite large, so I used 5)

1 Cup packed organic dark Muscovado sugar (dark brown if you can’t find Muscovado)

1 Cup organic granulated sugar

1 Cup organic lemon/ginger coconut oil (plain if you can’t find the flavored)

2 Teaspoons organic vanilla extract

Instructions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners (or coat the wells with unsalted butter).

2.       Place all of the dry ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk together until well blended.

3.       Place the remaining ingredients, minus the zucchini, into a medium bowl and whisk together until well combined. Fold in the zucchini until evenly mixed.

4.       Fill the muffin wells about 2/3 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or when toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

5.       Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 5 minutes before removing muffins from the pans. Remove muffins from the pans and cool completely

Double Recipe of Zucchini Relish.
The pint jars are purple glass.

Zucchini Relish

(inspired by Ball Blue Book)

Yield: about 4 half-pints

Ingredients:

2 Cups shredded zucchini, packed

1 Cup chopped onion (I use Walla Walla sweet from my garden)

½ Cup chopped sweet green pepper

½ Cup chopped sweet red pepper

2 Tablespoons canning salt

1 ¾ Cups organic granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon celery seed

1 Tablespoon mustard seed

2 Cups organic apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1.       Combine zucchini, onion, peppers; sprinkle with salt; cover with cold water. Let stand 2 hours. Rinse and drain thoroughly.

2.       Combine remaining ingredients in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Add the vegetables; bring back to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

3.       Pack the hot relish into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust 2-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Spiralized Zucchini Noodles

Some of the Chicken Curry Veggies

Chicken Curry with Zucchini Noodles

Chicken Curry with Zucchini Noodles

(inspired by Eat Local Grown)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 Teaspoons turmeric

1 Teaspoon Coriander

1 Teaspoon Cumin

1 Teaspoon sea salt

2 Teaspoons minced dried garlic

1 Teaspoon ground ginger

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 ½ Pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, diced

1 Cup chicken broth

1 Can full fat coconut milk

3 medium carrots chopped

1 sweet red pepper diced

8 Ounces sliced mushrooms

1 Bunch Swiss chard

½ Pound sliced okra

4-5 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles

Juice from ½ a lemon

Cilantro for garnish if desired

Instructions:

1.       Combine turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt, garlic and ginger in a small bowl. Set aside.

2.       Melt coconut oil in large skillet or pot over medium/high heat. Sauté chicken for 5-7 minutes, until no longer pink on the outside.

3.       Add spices, stir to combine, and cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk. Stir to combine.

4.       Add in carrots, red pepper, mushrooms, Swiss chard, and Okra. Bring to a boil and the turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini noodles and cook for another 5 minutes.

5.       Squeeze in lemon juice, garnish with cilantro. Serve.

Pan-fried zucchini patties served
with grilled salmon and baked potato

Pan-Fried Zucchini Patties

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini grated (squeeze out excess juice)

1 beaten egg

2 Tablespoons dry pancake mix (I currently use Kodiak Cakes)

¼ Cup grated cheese (I like sharp cheddar or pepper jack)

½ Cup coconut oil

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together. Form into about 4 patties. Pan-fry until cooked through and golden brown on both sides.

Zucchini Crust Pizza

Zucchini Crust Pizza

Crust:

3 Cups grated zucchini (excess juice squeezed out)

2 eggs

½ Cup grated mozzarella

½ Cup grated cheddar

Instructions:

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add all other ingredients and mix together. Spread out and pack/firm it together in a 9x13 greased pan (I grease with coconut oil). Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add pizza toppings of choice. Put back in the 400 degree oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

Tips for Fire Resistant Landscaping

 

While driving around southeast Hesperia, I found
some examples of  fire-resistant landscaping,
here are two of them. This one shows a beautiful
design that includes grass and rock with a few shrubs.
The only thing that could be an issue is
the one palm tree planted right next to the home.
Another plus about this landscape is that it is completely
surrounded by a protective block wall fence
that can help to stop a fire at the property’s edge. 

This home is in a more open space. It shows clearing
around the property with low growing, lush plantings
near the house. It does have a juniper, but it is isolated
and well away from the home.

With the ongoing drought and huge potential for wildfires, I thought it might be a good time to offer some fire-resistant landscaping information. For those who live in areas where wildfires are a real possibility, it is good idea to maintain a defensible space around your homes and use fire-resistant plant materials in your landscaping.

The Colorado State University Extension offers the following great information to protect your home from wildfires: “Vegetative clearance around the house (defensible space) is a primary determinant of a home's ability to survive wildfire. Defensible space is, simply, room for firefighters to do their job. If grasses, brush, trees and other common fuels are removed, reduced, or modified to lessen a fire's intensity and keep it away from the home, chances increase that the structure will survive. It is a little-known fact that in the absence of a defensible space, firefighters will often bypass a house, choosing to make their stand at a home where their safety is more assured and the chance to successfully protect the structure is greater.”

Consider the following factors, courtesy of the CSU extension, when planning, designing and planting a “Fire Wise” landscape within your home's defensible space:

-        Landscape according to the recommended defensible-space zones. That is, the plants near your home should be more widely spaced and lower growing than those farther away.

-        Do not plant in large masses. Instead, plant in small, irregular clusters or islands.

-        Use decorative rock, gravel and stepping stone pathways to break up the continuity of the vegetation and fuels.

-        Incorporate a diversity of plant types and species in your landscape. Not only will this be visually satisfying, but also it should help keep pests and diseases from causing problems within the whole landscape.

-        In the event of drought and water rationing, prioritize plants to be saved. Provide available supplemental water to plants closest to your house.

-        Use mulches to conserve moisture and reduce weed growth. Mulch can be organic or inorganic. Do not use pine bark, thick layers of pine needles or other mulches that readily carry fire.

Don’t forget about maintenance
A landscape is a dynamic system that constantly grows and changes. Plants considered fire resistant and which have low fuel volumes can lose these characteristics over time. Your landscape, and the plants in it, must be maintained to retain their “Fire Wise” properties.

-        Be aware of the growth habits of the plants within your landscape and of the changes that occur throughout the seasons.

-        Remove annuals and perennials after they have gone to seed or when the stems become dry.

-        Rake up leaves and other litter as it builds up throughout the season.

-        Mow or trim grasses to a low height within your defensible space. This is particularly important as grasses become dry.

-        Remove plant parts damaged by snow, wind, frost or other agents.

-        Timely pruning is critical. Pruning not only reduces fuel volumes but also maintains healthier plants by producing more vigorous, succulent growth.

Characteristics of fire-resistant plants

• Store water in leaves or stems

• Produce very little dead or fine material

• Possess extensive, deep root systems for controlling erosion

• Maintain high moisture content with limited watering

• Grow slowly and need little maintenance

• Are low growing in form

• Contain low levels of volatile oils or resins

• Have an open, loose branching habit with a low volume of total vegetation

The moisture content of plants is an important consideration because high levels of plant moisture can lower fire risk and act as a heat sink, reducing the intensity and spread of fire.

Some California native fire-resistant landscape plants suitable for the High Desert and many surrounding areas include: 
Western Redbud, Monkeyflower, Sage, Common Yarrow, California Sycamore, Toyon, California Fuchsia, Penstemon, California Poppy, and Flannel Bush.

Succulents such as Sedum or Ice Plant are also good choices for fire-resistant groundcovers on banks and hillsides.

Plants to avoid include Acacias, Eucalyptus, Cypress, Fir, Juniper, Pines and Chamise.

Visit following websites for lists of California-friendly fire-resistant plants and other valuable information for creating and maintaining a defensible space:

http://www.bewaterwise.com/fire.html

http://ucanr.edu/sites/safelandscapes/files/79452.pdf

http://www.lassenfiresafecouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Lassen-Fire-Safe-Council-NECal-LandscapePlantGuide.pdf

http://www.firescape.us/recommendedplantlist.pdf

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06303.html

The Tomato Hornworms Have Arrived

 

It is hard to tell in a photo,
but this hornworm is only about an inch long.
They can grow to be around 5 inches.

I discovered the first of this year’s tomato hornworms in my garden a couple of weeks ago. I found the first one quite by accident, which isn’t the way I normally find them. Usually I notice the missing leaves and sometimes the tell-tale caterpillar poo, which leads to a search to find the hungry invaders. This time I was eye-to-eye with the green creature. It had not yet done much in the way of damaging the plant as it was less than an inch long – small compared to what they can be. I looked around and found a second one on the same plant. I have been scouting for them ever since – on all 14 tomato plants – and so far so good.

Hornworms also can be a problem for tomato relatives like eggplant, peppers and potatoes, so it is a good idea to check them as well.

It can take a while to find them when I start looking for the nasty green worms because they blend in perfectly with the stems and foliage. Each year I have to retrain my eyes to spot them quickly. Hornworms have ravenous appetites and eat so much so quickly that they grow really fast. If I had taken a couple days longer to detect them, they could have easily been the size of a finger, and perhaps devoured much of the plant they were munching on.

How do you recognize a tomato hornworm? How do you manage them?

Here's a little information from the UC Davis website http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/PESTS/hornworm.html

"Tomato hornworms of all sizes have a distinctive horn at the rear end. If you find them early on they are small, but mature caterpillars are very large - up to 4 inches long. Tomato hornworms are likely to be the largest caterpillars you will see in the vegetable garden. Their striping pattern makes them hard to spot despite their size. Large, black droppings on the ground beneath tomato plants or on the leaves below where they are feeding usually indicate the presence of hornworms. The adult moths that are responsible for these worms have a wingspan up to five inches.

Damage by hornworm larvae (the worm/caterpillar) is usually most common in midsummer, but there may also be a small population peak in the late summer. Infestations tend to be more severe in warm inland areas such as the High Desert. The larval form is the only stage that causes damage. The eggs are laid singly on leaves. The larvae feed and grow, and then burrow into the soil to pupate. The adult/moth develops over the winter and emerges and the cycle continues. Entire leaves and small stems may be consumed by the larvae. Large pieces from green or ripe fruit may also be chewed.

To manage hornworms, handpick or snip hornworms with shears. Hornworm eggs can be attacked by Trichogramma and the larvae of Hyposoter exigua - two types of parasitic wasps - which can be purchased through various catalogs and released into the garden. There are also several general predators such as praying mantids to help keep populations under control. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or Spinosad are both effective against smaller larvae. Discing or rototilling the soil after harvest destroys the pupae and helps prevent adults from developing."

I tend to handpick the hornworms from the plants, and then feed them to my chickens. It is important to keep looking and not assume there are only one or two. It is best to look for them early in the morning, because they tend to hide out during the heat of the day. Look along the stems and under the leaves, especially near the ends of the branches and near where damage has been found. If you notice the droppings, look above that area. Tomato hornworms used to scare me so I would snip them with shears, but the disgusting green goo they leave behind is not very appealing. I eventually learned to put on a pair of gardening gloves and simply pick the worms off the plant.

Chickens enjoy feasting on tomato hornworms, so if you happen to have chickens, it's a great way to dispose of the worms once you have removed them from your plants. If you notice the eggs or pupa (cocoon), destroy them before they develop into the dreaded hornworm.