Ah…it’s August and I’ve been bit delayed in adding another post to my blog! It’s not that I didn’t want to do it but my husband and I just finished up our second year on our church’s festival committee. Together we served as vice-chairman of the event and Tom headed up the ‘Set-up & Take-down’ committee and I was in charge of the Silent Auction committee. On Sunday when the event was over – we breathed a big sigh of relief and an even bigger ALLELUIA!
But the highlight of that weekend was the marriage of my niece Amanda! She was a radiant bride! Tears of happiness flowed for the new couple. AND my brother (father of the bride) was a dancing machine that night…my feet STILL hurt. It was (if I do say so myself) a wonderful day spent with all my loved ones!
I did want to write a quick post before the weekend rolls around though…just so you are prepared for a ‘special event’ on Sunday, August 8th! Its National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day!
If you are a home vegetable gardener and grow zucchini well you know how ‘prolific’ this vegetable can be in your garden! Zucchini is very nutritious and can be used in many dishes, even dessert! I’ve had Zucchini Muffins and even Zucchini Chocolate Cake…chocolate can make most things taste better. BUT still – you can only eat so much of the stuff so what do you do with it but…sneak some onto your neighbor’s porch! And after you are done with your stealth mission try this zucchini recipe….like I said – I’ve known that zucchini was versatile but this one takes the cake! And if your neighbor catches you sneaking that zucchini onto their porch…offer them one of these!
Zucchini-tini
Zucchini Water:
1 large zucchini
Kosher salt
Zucchini-tini:
2 tablespoons simple syrup, recipe follows
2 tablespoons zucchini water
1/2 cup unfiltered sake, cold
1/4 cup ounces gin
2 thin slices zucchini, for garnish
Directions
To make the zucchini water: Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater and put it in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl; sprinkle with a pinch of salt and let stand for 15 minutes. Press the zucchini to extract as much water as possible.
To make the cocktail: Put the simple syrup, zucchini water, sake, and gin in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into 2 chilled martini glasses. Float a zucchini slice in each drink and serve immediately.
Simple Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat; stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool and transfer to an airtight container. Syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
If you are interested in growing zucchini in your home garden, check out the article on the University of Minnesota website titled Growing Zucchini and Summer Squash in Minnesota Home Gardens.
Hope your summer (and your gardens) are treating you well – it’s going fast! But there are still many days to enjoy out there before the snow flies. Have a great weekend and….
Happy Digging!
