It’s too bad zucchini can’t just stop growing when it reaches about 6 inches long. Almost overnight, zucchini can grow to about 12 inches, and it’s not nearly as easy to cook.

Right now, most farmers have more zucchini than they know what to do with, and it was probably a farmer who came up with the idea to designate Aug. 8 as “National Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Night.”

If someone leaves an armload of zucchini on your porch, or you buy too much at the farmers market, here are some reasons to be thankful for zucchini.

Zucchini is low in calories and contains useful amounts of folate, potassium and vitamin A. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin C. Dark green zucchini also has some beta carotene, and all types provide small quantities of minerals. Skin colors include almost black, dark green, pale green, pale green with gray, and yellow.

Here are some recipes from The Spice Hunter.

Zucchini boats

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

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“I’ve been doing a lot of cooking ever since I was 9 and yet this one here is one of my favorite filipino dishes”

Puchero Ingredients:

1/2 kg. pork liempo, cut into serving pieces
1/2 chicken, cut into serving pieces
1/2 kg. beef, cut into serving pieces
2 pieces chorizo de bilbao
6 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 bunch green onions
1 small cabbage
1/8 kg. green beans
4 pieces potatoes
4 pieces. saba bananas
1 cup chick peas, boiled until tender
2 tbsp. cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, sliced
4 cups broth ( from above meats)
2 tsp mono sodium glutamate
salt to taste

Procedure:

Boil pork, chicken, beef, chorizo de bilbao, in water, salt and green onions. When tender, remove and cook cabbage and green beans separately in the broth. Remove and set aside. Boil potatoes and bananas in water until tender. Remove. Cut bananas crosswise diagonally, quarter potatoes. Skin chick peas. Set aside. Fry garlic and onion in hot oil. Add broth. Bring to a boil then put in meats, bananas, potatoes, chick peas and vegetables. Season with salt and mono sodium glutamate. Serve with eggplant sauce.

Eggplant Sauce Ingredients:

6 eggplants
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup vinegar

Procedure:

Broil eggplants until tender. Peel and mash. Set aside. Chop garlic finely and add to mashed eggplant. Add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Puchero.