We are inundated with zucchinis. We have four plants and their yield is very high. We are growing three varieties: yellow, pale green and crook neck.

Baby crook neck zucchini/squash

I love zucchinis. We eat them raw, as a grated accompaniment to any meal. Cabbage can be replaced with zucchinis for coleslaw too. We eat the new ones, sliced, like cucumber in sandwiches. I’ve made dozens of zucchini muffins, with carrot, cheese and/or bacon. They are great for school lunches. Zucchini slice is lovely too, we put that in school lunches, cold, or eat it straight from the oven for a meal; of course, with zucchini added on the side. The children love it. Especially the yellow ones, when grated (we’ve actually told Matthew that it is cheese! Gulliable!) We add zucchini to a lentil/beef dish, for example, pasta sauce or a kheem curry.

A (very) small portion of our zucchini harvest

Most recently, we made zucchini chutney. For goodness sake, we had so many of the things piled on our dining table that we had to do something! I am a fan of Jackie French and we based our recipe on hers:

2kg Zucchini
2 cups raw sugar
2 small onions
300ml vinegar
garlic, ginger, mixed spice, dried chilli

We simmered the ingredients for hours. It was great to use the wood stove again (the weather this weekend was atrocious; we think we have had 100ml of rain in 3 days).

Cooking up the brew on the wood stove

We sterilised our jars by putting them in the bottom oven (100-150 degrees, probably) for an hour. Then we bottled up.

Bottles of goodness, made 20/2/11

We have tasted the chutney and it is delicious. Next? A family day of blackberry picking so I can make a year’s supply of jam (I’ve done a jam-making course, so I am willing and able, I think).