If you are the type of city gardener who likes to grow vegetables that require a minimum effort in return for a rich reward, zucchini is the dish for you.
This succulent plant, a member of the squash family, is also called Italian squash. Though virtually unknown to the average gardener, it is rich in vitamins and amazingly prolific.
Because of the rarity of this vegetable in some parts of the country, many readers will undoubtedly say that they have never even heard of zucchini.
In most of the seed catalogs, it is simply listed as “squash.” However, that is where the similarity ends.
The material difference between zucchini and regular squash is as obvious as night and day.
Zucchini Is Easy to Grow
One of the best things that can be said about zucchini is its amazing ability to flourish under the most difficult conditions.
In relation to other members of the vegetable kingdom, zucchini is one of the easiest of all to grow.
It has been known to thrive in hard clay! Of course, it is obvious that the richer the soil, the better the product will be.
Preparation of Soil and Seeds
Once the soil has been prepared, there is nothing more to do but plant the seeds, and let nature take its course.
From personal experience, I find that well-pulverized soil will produce the best plants. After planting the seeds firmly, adding good plant food will produce dividends.
After Planting The Squash
Just a few short weeks after planting, the plant begins to emerge from the ground, looking much like a cucumber vine.
This resemblance is short-lived, and a little while after that, the plant begins to sprout strongly, shooting out giant tendrils that reach distances of 8’ or 9’ feet in no time at all!
These plants are covered with huge leaves of deep green. Underneath these leaves is a flower, a huge yellow blossom which signifies that the zucchini is well on its way to maturity.
Real Honest-To-Goodness Flavor Of The Zucchini
The secret of the real honest-to-goodness flavor of the zucchini is not in the plant itself but in the time it is picked.
For a really delicious treat, you must pick the zucchini a few days after the green vegetable emerges from the vine, just after it is out of the blossom.
At this stage, the edible plant is only a few inches long, and therein lies the difference between the success and failure of its culture.
Serving zucchini never presents a problem because it adapts itself in many ways to the meal.
It has a miraculous way of lending itself to countless ways of culinary enterprises, and it is good no matter how you might make it!
Methods Of Cooking The Squash
The preparation consists of washing it thoroughly, cutting off the ends, and preparing it for the dinner table.
There are various cooking methods, and it can also be stuffed. For example, take one of the larger plants, wash it thoroughly, cut it into slices a quarter of an inch thick, and fry the pieces in butter!
Add pepper and salt accordingly, and then sit back and enjoy one of the most delicious treats you have had in a long time!
44659 by Jack Ferrari