Zucchini bounty

No, I don't have a bounty out on the head of some zucchini... but I might pay you to take some of these zukes off our hands!


This is the harvest I picked this morning. When I went down to the garden to pick, I absolutely could not believe the sheer volume of fruit that was waiting for me on those zucchini plants! You can see the one on the left is humongous. There's another one like that still over in the garden - didn't have enough room to carry it back with me!


Here's the huge one cradled in my arm, just to give you an idea how big it is. It weighs 5 pounds. I don't know what I'm going to do with it because it isn't going to be worth a darn to eat (when they get this big they become very fibrous and no longer delicious). I think it's destined for the compost pile, sadly.


This book has been getting quite a workout in our kitchen this year. We made up many jars of black raspberry jam about a month ago, Dave has done up some pickles, and I just made pickled zucchini. I've never tried them before, but I figured what the heck? What else am I going to do with all these zukes? Make a pizza with them? Yes, please. I made a lovely, sauceless pizza today with the tiniest slices of zucchini on top, and mushrooms, and fresh basil and mozzarella and provolone cheeses, and lemon juice and salt and pepper. On fresh, homemade dough (I was inspired by this delicious-looking nonsense over on Smitten Kitchen, my new favorite recipe blog). It was devine.

For photos of the pickling and the pizza pie, head on over to my new photo blog (pickle pics today, pizza pics tomorrow)!

The allure of purslane

Portulaca oleracea

"Common Purslane (also known as Verdolaga, Pigweed, Little Hogweed or Pusley), is an annual succulent in the family Portulacaceae, which can reach 40 cm in height. It has an extensive old-world distribution extending from North Africa through the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent to Malesia and Australasia." (source: Wikipedia)

As I mentioned in my last post, many consider this plant a weed, and it is easy to understand why. It's pretty doggone aggressive and fast-growing. And I think it will tolerate just about any soil condition or amount of rain or dryness, so this makes it all the more hardy. But, just like with Dandelions, one man's weed is another man's salad.

Once Dave found out it was edible, and decided that he liked the taste, he figured we might as well use this "weed" to our advantage. Mainly as a food item, but it turns out that is a great mulch item in the garden as well! It is growing around all of our tomato plants, and most of the other true weeds can't compete. Additionally, this dense mat of low-lying vegetation serves to shade the ground, thus keeping it cool on a hot day and also helping to conserve moisture in the soil. How's that for companion planting? Good for the garden: check.

It is well documented that purslane contains high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids (likely the best vegetable source of omega-3s), as well as a whole host of vitamins and minerals Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. Good for us: check.

The taste, to me, has a hint of lemony tang and also a peppery bite. The succulent stems are pretty crispy, and the leaves can be, too. Purslane definitely has a mucilaginous quality to it (think okra or flax seeds), which was a turn-off to me at first, but this quality seems to be less prevalent (or at least less off-putting) when the stems become more mature. I don't recommend eating purslane when it's young (i.e. when it first starts to sprout) because the taste hasn't had a chance to develop. When it's young it just kind of tastes like... grass. Blech.

Dave is currently in search of the perfect pickled purslane recipe. (The stems/stalks of the plant become quite large this time of year, and are a good candidate for fresh pack pickling.) He has tried a few different recipes, one of which yielded "pickles" that were awesomely similar in taste to Klaussen spears. Purslane is also good in a green salad (gives it a nice crispness factor), and I think I would like to try stir frying it or sauteing it sometime soon.

I have seen purslane being sold in garden centers as a flower, and I think there are some varieties that have showier flowers than others, but I can't vouch for what the stems and leaves might taste like in those varieties. If you're unfamiliar with this plant and would like to try it for yourself, I would recommend checking at a local farmer's market. I wouldn't be too surprised if stores like Whole Foods might sell it, too. Or, check your own garden. You may have a crop of your own, just waiting to be harvested.

Garden tour

So, as promised in my last post, here is a look at what else is growing in our veggie garden this year...

Carrots

Peppers of various varieties

Several types of tomatoes

Green beans

The previously mentioned "space saving" zucchini, with all its mass, it's prickly leaf stalks and very large leaves (several feet across, easily)

Sweet corn

DID YOU KNOW... Corn is a member of the grass family? (So are other cereal grains, like wheat, barley, oats, rye, and rice.) The next time you're driving down the highway or along a country road, take note of the grasses growing alongside. If the mowing crews haven't been through yet and the grass is tall enough, you might be able to see the resemblance between some roadside grasses and corn stalks. (Keep your eye on the road, though, too - I don't want to be held responsible for any driving accidents!)

Basil (mmm... pesto!)

Rhubarb (this was donated by one of our neighbors, and has managed to survive several thorough munchings by the deer)

Purslane

We didn't choose the purslane, it chose us. Considered a weed by many (including me for several years), it quickly forms a dense mat of vegetation if left unchecked. It seems to be much more appreciated in other countries for its use as a fresh vegetable/herb (like Turkey, Greece and Mexico), but I have seen it for sale at our local farmer's market. But we don't need to buy it, because it grows very readily in our garden.

I'll tell you more about it tomorrow.