Mega Zucchini

When we got home from camping Saturday night, Dane and I took off outside with flashlights to check the garden. We couldn't wait to see what progress our plants had made while we were gone.

First, we went to the big garden in the back. One of our pickling cucumbers had two flowers. All the cucumbers had grown and two had even outgrown the stakes that seemed huge when we first put them beside our little plants. Our bush tomato was a full foot higher than the highest rung on the tomato cage and had miniature tomatoes and several more blooms, as did several more of the tomatoes, including my Roma's. The potatoes, which I planted by cutting 3 or four of our potatoes into individual eyes and burying each eye methodically (all the research I did said you can't use store-bought potatoes because they're treated to keep them from rooting - we tried anyway, and I'm sure glad we did), were much larger, the tallest measuring 8 - 12 inches in heighth. Dane and I counted 11 little potato plants. The bell peppers had flowers and the sweet banana peppers, which I planted very late, even were beginning to establish themselves. We were thrilled and oohed and ahhed excitedly about each little plant.

Then we moved to the box garden on the side of the house. We began pushing back leaves and checking for yellow, crooked-neck squash. We found some huge ones that shocked us both. All told, there were about 5 that were almost too big for the plant to sustain. Additionally, there were several that needed to be picked over the next two days. As I was finishing up with the yellow squash, Dane moved to the other side of the garden to check the zucchini. I heard a gasp, then a yell.

What, son?" I asked. "WHAT?"

Dane could hardly contain himself.

"Mama, you've got to SEE this!" he screamed at me. I sure hope none of the neighbors were trying to sleep.

I made my way to the other side of the garden. He was holding back leaves and pointing his flashlight at one of the biggest zucchini I've ever seen. We looked at each other and laughed.

I can't even imagine how that thing got so big in the 4 short days we were gone. Surely, it must've been ready to be picked before we even left for our camping trip. I suppose we may very well have just missed it amongst all the foliage. The yellow squash stand out amongst the green, but the zucchini are much harder to see. They look very much like the stalks on the leaves and can be difficult to pick out unless you look VERY carefully.

In addition to Mr. Mega Zucchini, we also found two others that were very large and needed picking. There are three more on the plants that will need to be picked tomorrow or the next day.

I plan to make zucchini bread with that largest one which is probably mostly seeds and not very good eating. The rest will need to be cooked up. Dane's birthday is Sunday and he wants them battered and fried in the deep fryer for his birthday dinner.

In the meanwhile, I'm looking for creative uses for yellow squash. I cooked a lot for dinner last night and cooked 3 more for my sister. I'm thinking about cooking up the rest and canning them. They'll be great this winter, when yellow squash is in short supply and the squash bores have long-since claimed our plants.

I'll have to take a picture of Mr. Mega Zucchini to post before I shred him. Dane will want to keep a record of some kind for posterity.

I just want to eat him.