Upside Down...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by ilex on July 30, 2008 at 9:05am

Penelope, have you considered starting a kitchen garden and recipe blog- with photos of the garden and finished dishes? You'd be really good at it.

Permalink Reply by Shawna on July 29, 2008 at 3:08pm

For the vegies that get too big like the zuchini, you can chop it up or even run it through the food processor and freeze it in small baggies. Works great for soups/stews in the winter- Squash and Pumpkin make great soups as well. My grandmother used frozen Zuchini to make a delicious Chocolate Zuchini cake that all the grandkids would eat (and have no clue they were eating Zuchini) I didn't even know until I asked her for the recipe for my kids!

My kids won't touch the Zuchini, but they also have no clue it's in the cake!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ron on July 30, 2008 at 6:36am

Very clever indeed! I knew a lady who made vegie pitza covered with cheese- even the kids wanted seconds.

We traditionally use beans or peas for soup but the idea of using squash is worth a try. I dont think pumpkin will do as I dont eat it but have often baked some for the kids. Pumpkin or butternut slices in tin foil, covered in cinamon, sugar and butter done on a fire are also sought after thingies for guests but I have never tasted them myself.

I just enjoy cooking on an open fire - especially weird things such as sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, potatoes, mushrooms and breads. I usually find it hard to be idle so, if I'm not fishing, building or gardening, I cook! I once made the error of deciding to make doughnuts and, 5 hours later, stood frozen to the bone as my family gobbled up the dozen or so that I had been slaving over all Day! Hey, you only get caught once!

I'm not a vegetarian but, as a Gemini, are quite easy with experiments. I LOVE new ideas and this Zuchini thing has got me going.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ron on July 30, 2008 at 9:02am

Ha, found it!

Zucchini is a Courgette, best served very young. Good in soups, stews and raw as a sallad ingredient!

I feel so stupid!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Penelope on July 30, 2008 at 9:13am

What many of us are discovering are the differences in our "common" language depending on continent, country or even region in the same country. I enjoy hearing what people call different things, but it can be frustrating when we don't understand each other :-)

Permalink Reply by Ron on July 30, 2008 at 6:08am

Hi again.

We have what we call the Baby Marrow that is also called a Corgette or somthing like that. My first attempt was to let these things grow as much as they wanted to and, when I eventually gave in, found them to be a watery mess when cooked.

I gave them away but the people were very reluctant to accept them-for reasons unknown to me at that stage!

I eventually stumbled on a recipe which had color photos of each ingredient and I then realised that one harvests them as soon as the flowers dropped off!

So, I have no idea what a Zuchini is unless you would be so kind as to describe one, I suppose it is some type of an elongated squash with pumpkin-like pips?

I enjoy squash but not pumpkin because they take up too much space and also taste yuggie. I last ate pumpkin as a young child as that was the last time I was compelled to eat it!

Does the Zuchini only have an edible fruit or can one also use the leaves? Eeeesh,I really do not know what it is and what one does with it!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Penelope on July 30, 2008 at 8:53am

I believe corgette and zucchini may be the same thing -- zucchini is a green variety -- i lump yellow and green ones together and call them summer squash in that they don't keep over winter. The blossoms are edible -- chefs stuff them with cheese and other goodies -- the male blossoms first, then the female blossoms that have the tiny squash still attached. I usually pick them when they are four inches long and an inch in diameter for stirfries, steaming, raw in salads, etc. When they get a little bigger, 2-3 inches in diameter, I slice them into rounds, dip them in egg and cracker crumbs and fry them with salt and pepper. Delicious.

I made a tempura batter last night with a round yellow sunburst pattypan that was pretty good, but the cracker crumbs recipe is superior.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ron on July 30, 2008 at 9:32am

Yes, thank you, you are 100 % correct! I spelt it wrong so could not find an identification.

Anyway, I did not know one could eat the flower so I have learnt something new.

As far as usage is concerned, I like to cook in cast iron pots over a fire [called "potting"] and usually drop the "baby marrows" in for the last 10 minutes of cooking time as they do very quickly but add a buttery flavour to the stew.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ron on July 30, 2008 at 6:54am

To add to the idea of young and tender vegies.

Small, under-developed young plants such as beetroot and potatoes taste very good .

I recall my mom making sure that we harvested the baby potatoes along with the others and these she would do in their jackets in an open pot with a very small amount of lard. She would add curry powder during winter.

I onced lodged with a pensioner during my travels and she welcomed the fresh vegies very much, doing the small beetroot in the micro as a side dish - the meals were small as there were only two to feed and she was very worried about my constantly extending spare tyre! Luvly kinda personality hey?

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ron on July 30, 2008 at 9:09am

Sorry, the name Zucchini was unfamiliar to me and, to top it all, I spelt it wrong!

I agree with your comment on the cricket bat as mine was totally tastless. However, you learn by your mistakes hey?

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Clark Chesser on July 30, 2008 at 11:17am

Last year, we left for a 2 week trip (never again, during growing season) and I came back to severak "cbsz's". I seeded, peeled and shredded them and was able make a boatload of zucchini muffins and loaves. When they get that big the flesh is tasteless, and shredded zucchini just adds texture and moisture, so you can add it to all sorts of baked goods.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Penelope on July 30, 2008 at 11:22am

Also, you can make patties with shredded zucchini -- add sprouts, minced onion, leftover rice, herbs, S&P, and an egg and bit of flour, and fry. Even my kids would eat them.

▶ Reply to This

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last