Have you ever walked outside and found that someone had left you a bag of zucchini at your door? It can, and does happen! Zucchini has a way of being so prolific in the summer that some growers can’t possibly use it all, and they’re forced to think creatively in order to get rid of it. Even if they do manage all of it, well, they’re bound to miss a hidden vegetable somewhere in the vines until it grows as big as a log. Therefore some lucky people find anonymous gifts like 4 pounds of zucchini at their door, left by a mysterious gardener.
The all time best use for one of those giant zukes that I’ve ever seen was while I was driving through an outdoor shopping center in my old home town. It was a very stately area, filled with huge fountains and statues: bronze cherubs spouting water, that kind of thing. At one end of the center was a life-sized statue of Winston Churchill and his wife, an homage to married life. They were seated on a bench, facing each other, engaged in eternal conversation- but someone had placed a two foot long zucchini on the Prime Minister’s lap! It was just sitting there baking in the sun, totally out of place. Hilarious!
And now that I think about it, I should grow some zucchini this year, so I can give back all the, ahem, generosity I’ve been subject to. Winston would approve.
Even if you’re not the lucky recipient of mystery zucchini, the vegetable is easy to come by and super tasty grilled. Don’t skimp on the lemon in this flatbread recipe, though. The lemon goes well with everything!
-Amy at Flatout
