What looks like a cucumber, tastes like a cucumber, but isn't a cucumber?

     It's that time of the year here already in the Midwest. If you know what I'm talking about, you know that it's time to keep your car doors locked at all times. If you don't, you just might find some zucchini in it. If you're new to gardening, you might not know that zucchini grows almost like a weed here. Everybody and their cousins will try to give it away if you're not careful. But what will you do if you find yourself in an abundance of that ubiquitous green summer squash? Never fret, I have some ideas for you. Here are some of my favorites:

• Oven baked zucchini pizza bites
• Grilled Zucchini strips
• Vegetable soup with cubed zucchini
• Zucchini bread
• Banana zucchini chocolate chip muffins
• Zucchini brownies
• Zucchini spaghetti boats
• Breaded zucchini fries
• Add zucchini to smoothies (practically tasteless)
• Add zucchini to stir-fry or tacos
• Pickle them

    Don't feel like using them up right away? That's okay, they can keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and the freezer for up to 3 months (although I usually keep mine for up to a year in the freezer). I like to cube them for easy crockpot soups and shred some for easy baking recipes then freeze in freezer bags.

    And remember, when life hands you zucchinis, make zucchini bread and share the loaf! Or just put them in someone's car...

Ideally, zucchini are best at 7-8 inches,
but you can pick them at all sizes as long as they are not rotting!