zucchini is not punishment

veg tricks

I used to see zucchini as a punishment.  We grew too much in our garden, a few years, when I was a kid.

My best friend got mad at me because my mom kept making me give zucchini to her mom, and my best friend was tired of eating it.  Hahahaha!  Sorry about that.

Here, take this zucchini.  Ming tells a joke about people stopped at a stop sign need to keep their windows rolled up, so someone doesn’t affront them with a bag of zucchini that needs a home.  Ding dong ditching zucchini.  Leaving it in a basket on the front steps of a church, wrapped in a small blanket, with a baby rattle.

poor Mama

Not to speak ill of the dead, but this is how my mom cooked zucchini.  She would slice it thin, and microwave it!  So like–unevenly overcooked, steamed zucchini.  For a treat, you could melt some shredded cheese on it.

Therefore, it was watery, bland, lifeless, with no personality or pizzazz–sadly, punishment!  It was “diet food” for her, I think.  You couldn’t put butter on it–God forbid!

zucchini revolution

Now I am an adult, and I can make my veg however the fuck I want.  Thank Mother God for veg freedom.

So yeah, did you know zucchini is delicious?  This what I do.  I wash it well, slice off the very end of the flower side, then slice it like a centimetre thick.  Each slice, I cut into fourths or sixths, usually.  So it’s diced!

Then I heat some olive oil in our wok.  Yes, the wok the crazy houseguest left here years ago that I use almost every day.  Let the oil get a bit hot.  Then throw in the diced zucchini, and brown it.  Let it get toasty.  Not every side needs to be brown, but at least half of the sides.

There you go–Bob’s your uncle.  It’s tasty.  You can add garlic at the last minute, sprinkle salt on it, any spice you want, put it over rice, eat it just like that.  Perfectly delicious, valid food!

letting go

Did I change, or did zucchini change?  I needed to let go of my vegetable prejudice.  It doesn’t have to be limp and watery–no way.  Please do not do that to your squash.

No need to do anything fancy to veg.  It’s good simple–simple can be best.  If you need a lot of spice, jut throw sriracha on it, red pepper flakes, or cayenne and or other hot pepper at the end.  Ginger is always welcome.  But if you’re tired or whatever, don’t bother.

From punishment to treat–who knew.  Thank you, time and creativity and freedom.