Crop Failure

The green bean plants were eaten down to a nub one night by some well meaning rabbits. The green peppers have all been snitched by animals too. The red pepper plant was attacked by white flies and was quite dead before I did something about it. The rosemary was uprooted by some kid, nobody ever owned up to that one. The cilantro was enjoyed until it died probably because it received no sunlight and had no space after the tomatoes took over. I had no idea how big they would grow and planted a little too close. The dill bit the dust early on, have no idea why. The first 15 or so zucchinis went the way of the earth due to end blossom rot (watering issues I discovered) but we have managed to recover from that. Then it was attacked with powdery mildew. Cut it back almost completely and it made an amazing comeback. I generally wait too long to pick them and they have mostly served as a catalyst for trying new zucchini bread recipes. They grow so fast. The tomatoes have been the victim of every blight out there; caterpillars, red spider mites, end blossom rot, cat-facing, and some other viral and fungal issues that I can't remember the names of. Luckily they were far enough along that we have managed to have a small but steady crop of tomatoes despite the deathly looking plants. That is, if we get to them before the rats. Yep, we have some vermin that keep tabs on the tomatoes and come and steal them the night before they are ready to be picked. I've wisened up now though and pick them 2 days early and let them ripen on the counter. I realized how little I know about growing and have sure learned a lot this summer. I'm excited to try again next summer. Here are two of my favorite recipes I've used my harvest for:

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (from Penzey's Spices)

½ cup milk
¼ tsp white vinegar
½ cup room temperature butter
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups flour
4 Tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
2 cups finely grated zucchini
1-4 oz bar semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 muffin pans with papers. Mix together the milk and vinegar and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, oil and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla and milk/vinegar mix. Blend well. In a separate bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to the butter mixture and stir by hand to combine. Add zucchini and chocolate and stir well. Spoon into pan and sprinkle top with nuts. Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean or muffins spring back to touch. Makes 24 muffins.

Zucchini with Tomatoes and Basil (thanks Ruru)

4 small zucchini (1/2 lb), cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 cup coarsely chopped tomatoes

2 Tb chopped fresh basil

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 tsp lemon juice

2 Tb shredded fresh parmesan cheese

1. Combine zucchini and 1/4 cup water. Cover and steam over medium heat 3-4 minutes until crisp tender.

2. Add tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper and lemon. Mix. Cook 1 minute longer. Sprinkle with cheese.