Hello again. Thank you for popping back into Wuzzles and Snippets and many many thanks for your lovely feedback and responses from the last post! Some of you have been asking when I am going to delve into issues of animal welfare and my thoughts on these subjects. It’s a-coming, but not today.
Like many others, I have been struggling with the overwhelming amount of appalling behaviour exhibited in the equestrian bits of the Olympics, gnashing my teeth over rodeos, feeling mounting despair on issues of animal agriculture, and distressed by the complete lack of empathy being accorded to the creatures of the sea.
The overwhelm is a physical, visceral thing. In order to maintain a balance of sorts, I sometimes need to step back and reconnect with my dwindling supplies of kindness rather than let anger rule my words and actions. So deep breath here, and although it may seem like I am avoiding the subjects, please know that I am just searching for a way to address them without a) swearing (too much) b) ripping my hair out whilst writing and c) condemning all humankind to hell in one sentence or less.
Which brings me to zucchinis, a subject that doesn’t tip this writer over the edge of her thin line of sanity. Although, arguably, the picture below may cause you to question that statement.
Zucchinis are a rather wondrous vegetable. Give them a little love and they will thrive, flourish, take over your garden. Don’t give them any love and they will pretty much achieve the same things. The growing of them is really appealing. We grew seventy-two one season. I know, I know! What were we thinking? Well honestly, we weren’t thinking. Or rather, we were, but only of the glory of the plants themselves, the huge beautiful blooms, the spread of leaves, the shelter provided by the plants for frogs and little things, the pure gorgeousness of it all. We certainly did not think about the productivity level. Harvesting the zucchini patch became an event. It took hours, every other day or so. We grew all sorts of varieties including Romanesco, Black Beauty, Goldies, Benningtons, Sunbursts, Eclipse, Rond De Nice, White Marrows. All distinctive in their colours, shapes, density, longevity and subtleties. A zucchini, Dr. Freud, is much much more than just a zucchini!
As one would surmise, the growing of such bounty determined that we research the heck out of ways to use zucchini. Creeping around in the dead of night, leaving bags of zucchini on doorsteps seemed counterintuitive to developing respect for this particular vegetable, maligned as it is by so many folk.
But oh, the glorious ways of enjoying zucchini are endless! Roasted, stuffed, grilled, sauteed, shredded, spiralized, baked, souped. All delicious. Bread, cake, muffins, cookies, brownies. Mouthwatering goodness. Quiche, lasagna, pasta sauce. Perfection. Relish? Yes, absolutely. Pickles? Indeed! Stuffing the blossoms before you have to harvest the zuks… you bet.
But without a doubt, the most surprising and delectable thing one can do with a zucchini, particularly the White Vegetable Marrow, is the making of vegan lemon curd. Not one single solitary chicken needs to be involved. And that alone makes it a win win with us!
It’s also very simple to make, which holds a lot of appeal for me in the busy summer season. You need two to three pounds of white marrow, peeled and cubed. You bung it in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer gently until the cubes are translucent and tender. Strain, let it cool then chuck in a blender and blend until smooth (it takes seconds). And here’s the only ‘tricky’ bit: strain again through a very fine seive with a layer of cheesecloth to remove as much of the liquid as possible. You pop the strained marrow back into the saucepan, zest of three lemons, juice of three lemons and one cup of sugar. Stir continuously for about fifteen to twenty minutes as it thickens. If you like your curd more solid, add a little cornstarch to increase the thickening.
Boom. You have yourself lemon curd! (Refrigerate, this is not a preserve). As for what to do with lemon curd? One taste and I think you will come up with all sorts of ways to consume it. My favourite? On a spoon and down the hatch.
This is the taste of summer and ultimately, a stand against cruelty. Factory farmed chickens are viewed primarily as a machine to make eggs and as such have been completely stripped of any humane or ethical treatment. If you need that illustrated, there are many hard working animal sanctuaries and justice organizations that have had the courage to expose what actually takes place in a factory chicken’s life. It is horrendous. Not only for the chickens, but also for many of the people working within these systems. The accepted practices of animal agriculture are terrifying in the total oppression of basic compassion.
Phew. That sort of blasted out there, eh? So much for ‘not today’!
To end on a happier note, a tip for all potential zucchini growers. Miss one on the vine and you will have a monster within days! These can have some value as confidants (see first photo), and are often seen at county fairs masquerading as go-carts. They are not so tasty when they reach these outlandish proportions. The plant will also stop producing more zucchinis as all it’s energy will be gobbled up by the greedy zuk lurking under the prickly leaves. That being said, if you have been foolish enough to plant seventy-two zucchinis, loosing a plant or two to a monster isn’t such a bad thing!
Thanks for reading, and always, whatever it may be, your feedback is like water to a thirsty traveller. ‘Till the next time, kristine
Loved this one, as always. Will try the recipe, looks amazing. Keep your adventures coming!
Big fan of Wuzzles & Snippets right here!