Избыток цукини: от кулинарных экспериментов до политических задержек законопроекта о сельском хозяйстве

I have been trying without success to give away surplus zucchini. It is my fault because, although I know that one zucchini plant will yield more than enough, two are planted. The challenge is to find new uses for it. Zucchini has been used in chocolate cake, brownies, hot dishes and in stews with mixed success. It adds moisture to all dishes but not much beyond that. ADVERTISEMENT Critics say it serves no useful purpose whatsoever. “It is the world’s most overrated vegetable,’’ said friend Tom while we cleaned garlic ahead of the Minnesota Garlic Festival, which is an annual event in Hutchinson, Minnesota. I did not correct Tom’s misstatement about it being a vegetable. Botanists categorize it as a fruit, but almost all chefs and home cooks consider it a vegetable. Zucchini originated in Mexico and Central America more than 5,000 years ago. It was introduced to the United States by Italian immigrants and recipes using it began to appear in cookbooks as early as the 1920s. Italian immigrants — called garlic eaters and worse by those opposed to their arrival were never labeled as zucchini eaters. The prolific fruit gained popularity during World War II when people — faced with the challenge of ration card limits and possible food shortages — were encouraged to garden for the war effort. A joke that made the rounds a few years ago involved a frustrated gardener, which seems apropos. She had taken a couple of zucchinis to town to give away, didn’t lock her car, and discovered four more of them in the backseat when she returned home. Because my annual consumption of zucchini-enhanced menu items has reached its limit, I have started searching for other recipes. Zucchini soup quickly drew attention. ADVERTISEMENT I found a recipe for it on the Internet and will share it with you as a public service. It calls for two pounds of fruit, one stick of butter, seven chicken broth cubes, salt, and eight ounces of cream cheese. The recipe suggestion did not receive a positive response from a busy Kathy, who has entered tomato canning season despite 50 quarts of tomatoes remaining on the shelves. Homegrown tomatoes are in great demand and can be sold, but I give them to non-gardeners. Because the cucumber plants have yielded little, I searched for them at a farmer’s market. The price was a hefty $1 a piece, which led me to think that pickled small zucchinis, dill, garlic, and pickling salt might be an inexpensive substitute. The Internet is a gold mine of information with recipes that include onions, white vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, garlic, and other seasonings. Someone said zucchini is delicious grilled with its inside seasoned with butter and brown sugar. With all that’s going on far beyond the garden, it may seem silly to focus this column on trivial things. The political maneuvering involved in getting the 2026 farm bill together is one of those. The bill is hung up in the Senate Agriculture Committee. Some Republican senators want to delay finishing a new bill by a year while one or more Democratic senators want to delay it for two. The delay involves a fight over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is obviously important to many. However, it lacks importance among farmers. Congress will be back in session on Sept. 14, but don’t expect rapid action on the farm bill. It appears that they are in no hurry as fall rapidly approaches. ADVERTISEMENT The nation is also dealing with issues with artificial intelligence data centers. Opponents say the centers will consume too much water and negatively impact the environment. The not-in-my-backyard fight is reminiscent of the bitter battles that occurred over large feedlot construction. It’s possible that my desire to avoid wasting zucchini is consuming too much of my attention. Mychal Wilmes is the retired managing editor of Agri News. He lives in West Concord, Minnesota, with his wife, Kathy.