Are you looking at your basket filled with zucchini (and cucumbers) that you’ve harvested this summer? You might also be wondering what you can do with them because there’s only so much roasted zucchini and pickled cucumber one person can take. You’re in the perfect place, because in this episode, I invited one of my favorite plant people, Kaleb Wyse of Wyse Guide. Kaleb’s a modern homesteader, gardener, storyteller, and now a New York Times bestselling cookbook author!

He joined us to chat about all the ways to actually enjoy your zucchini harvests aside from your typical zoodles! These four recipes are from Kaleb’s book There’s Always Room at the Table, and they’re flavorful, comforting, and super doable. Time to cook!

 

In this episode, we learn:

• [03:50] Meet Kaleb Wyse from Wyse Guide
• [05:44] What type of gardener is Kaleb?
• [06:18] Zone 5B growing conditions
• [09:02] How can you find boundaries in your gardening practice?
• [10:16] Kaleb's #1 advice for new gardeners
• [12:21] My Floridian challenges!
• [15:21] Revive your garden's late-season growth with Espoma Organic’s high-quality products!
• [16:20] Kaleb’s gardening philosophy and childhood stories
• [19:48] Zucchini growing tips: when and how to plant
• [21:45] Eating zucchini flowers (stuffed with goat cheese)
• [22:27] Growing zucchini on the ground vs. trellising?
• [24:05] The inspiration behind his cookbook, ‘There’s Always Room at the Table’?
• [26:55] What is Kaleb’s favorite zucchini recipe?
• [28:31] How to prevent zucchini from going mushy
• [29:36] More zucchini recipes!
• [32:42] Using dill flower heads for pickling
• [33:53]  Quick pickle vs. normal pickle
• [35:09] Zucchini dip as a sandwich spread
• [36:16] Zucchini fritters recipe
• [38:37]  Does Kaleb grow his own garlic? 
• [39:42] Fermenting garlic and honey for health and flavor
• [40:56] Zucchini loaf cake recipe
• [44:27] Where to follow Kaleb and get his cookbook

 

 

 

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Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Recipe 1: Garlicky Zucchini

This is Kaleb’s go-to weeknight recipe when he’s got a pile of zucchini in the kitchen and no time for anything fancy. It’s the most simple one. It’s a quick sauté in a skillet that's going to really intensify the flavor of your zucchini, because it has lots of garlic and gets a nice crust on it with browning.

Just don't overcrowd the pan to avoid getting it mushy (which is not the best). Don’t salt it right away to also avoid “macerating” and more steaming to happen (instead of browning).

 

Recipe 2: Zucchini & Street Corn Fritters (with Chipotle Mayo)

Kaleb grew up eating zucchini fritters during harvest season, and this version adds sweet corn and chipotle mayo for a little extra flavor. No need to drain the zucchini. You can just shred it and mix it with corn, eggs, flour, baking powder, and parmesan or cotija cheese. Then cook them in a hot pan. They become these perfect little pancakes.

Top it with a chipotle mayo for an extra kick!

 

Recipe 3: Roasted Zucchini and Feta Dip

This one’s like baba ganoush but with zucchini. Cut your zucchini into planks, add olive oil, salt and pepper, and put it in the oven to roast. That browning in the oven brings out all the flavor.

Then, blend it with some tahini, Greek mayonnaise, dill, and some garlic, plus feta cheese. It’s now a creamy and savory dip. You can use it as a spread on a sandwich or as a dip with vegetables, crackers, or crostini.

 

Recipe 4: Orange Cardamom Zucchini Loaf Cake

Yes, dessert! This is a lovely loaf cake that combines zucchini, cardamom, and orange in a sweet baked cake.

Since zucchini doesn’t have a forward enough flavor on its own, it can actually take on any flavor, really. It’s not going to compete with anything, so you can pick different flavor profiles.

Adding cardamom gives it a much more unique flavor, and it works well with orange, which completely changes the flavor profile of zucchini. Zucchini’s “main role” is to add moisture to this cake.

Kaleb likes to sprinkle turbinado sugar on top so it gets a crust when you bake it. You could have it for dessert, but nobody’s stopping you from also serving this for breakfast. 😉

 

Bonus Recipe: Quick Cucumber Pickles

Since cucumbers are another one where you either have a billion or you have two, you can use a pickle recipe. The main difference between a quick pickle and a normal pickle is that quick pickles don't get water bathed or cooked after they're brined. You pour on a hot brine and just put them in the fridge. They usually stay much crisper, and it's much faster. It's an equal part of vinegar to water, so no need to fuss when you make this!

 

How to Grow Zucchini

For any type of vine or squash, always wait until after the summer solstice. Late June is when Kaleb plants those seeds and direct sows them. They have tender roots, so transplanting them when you’ve started them indoors is always going to be more “iffy.”

Also, if you plant them late like that, you get past the first generation of vine borers, so you have a little bit more respite to start them later and not have huge issues right away.

 

Loving Your Zucchini

I hope you love these zucchini recipes we talked about! I assure you that these recipes are healthy, joyful, and totally unboring. Pick one or two to try this season, and even with these great recipes, you'll still probably have plenty to share with neighbors. And that’s perfectly okay too.

 

 

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

• There’s Always Room at the Table by Kaleb Wyse
• ‘Incredible Escalator' Climbing Zucchini – Renee's Garden

 

 

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Espoma Organic

Have the tastiest and most abundant zucchini harvest when you use organic gardening products! Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar-powered plant, zero waste manufacturing, and eco-friendly packaging.

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

 

 

 

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