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It's good to be back. Actually, I am a week late, but family emergencies arose during the month of July that had to be addressed THEN, not later. Our beloved Shih Tzu Skittles, in his usual attempt to jump up on the bed, let out a scream of pain. There was no one else around him or object near him, and his cry of distress brought about an immediate call to my husband about the event. That afternoon Skittles went to our vet's. A complete blood analysis was done, along with X-rays and other tests. The final diagnosis: Lyme disease! Every month we faithfully use a medication to protect against the bugs that carry it, but somehow this time it simply didn't work. Skittles was put on pain killers and antibiotics that he still takes. He's doing much better now, and my attention can return to doing my column.
My choice of subject this week is prompted by what is around me here at Tangled Oaks. After a disappointing start, my neighbor came over to say that his zucchini plants are now vigorous, and do I like zucchini? I graciously accepted his offer of sharing his bounty, but so far none have appeared over here. Back in New Jersey, squash was a large part of my crop. I grew not only zucchini but yellow squash, spaghetti, butternut and acorn squash. The zucchini were the favorites, however, because they had so many uses. My family loved fresh zucchini bread, fragrant with seasonings and soft to the touch. Many a loaf found its way into breakfast and lunch during the summer. My first recipe called for a LARGE amount of cooking oil, but other people who had gardens shared their recipes and even samples of other ways they made the classic bread. Another neighbor used zucchini in a "pie" type casserole which she used as the center of her family's dinner. It was delicious. As the season began to produce not only zucchini and yellow squash, but also TOMATOES that the groundhog missed, I needed to find a way to use them. Given the abundance of these three foods, an idea came to mind using all of them in a dish that the family grew to love: SUMMER SCRAMBLE! To make my original Summer Scramble, I also needed cheese and bacon. The recipe for my original creation is printed out below. The Tangled Oaks orchard has been mysterious this year. The aging apple trees have been invaded by both sumac trees and another large, bushy tree with yellow flowers. Attempt to prune these interlopers out has been hampered by the large amounts of rainfall we have had this year. The moisture has caused the grass to grow to ridiculous heights and that prevents me from getting over to them on my scooter. So I have to watch the first apples on the upper branches that are above the invading growth be enjoyed by birds. Last year I finally found an apple picking tool on the Internet that I cannot use because of not being able to get to the trees. I am also blocked from visiting the pear tree to see if this is a good year. My grand daughter has already asked me about having some pears!
One of the saddest parts of gardening is to have fruits and vegetables go bad before they can be used. With this in mind, one creative merchant thought up a totally ridiculous but amusing use for aging zucchini: RACING IT! And so was born the Zucchini 500!
The fast and the squashiest
The racers came with black bat wings, pipe-cleaner antennas, painted-on flames and passengers made of produce. One competitor, the pirate vessel ''The Black Zuke,'' arrived complete with masts and rigging.
I will have to watch for the announcement of NEXT year's Zucchini 500. I think I would like to enter my squash in a wheel chair!
NOTE: THIS RECIPE IS FOR ENOUGH TO SERVE 2 or 3.
Enjoy!!! Just Mom |
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| Cartoon Courtesy of Coffee Cup Software |