If a walk through your garden has led to the discovery of zucchinis large enough to feed a family of six, take heart. Those who have met this challenge have left a legacy of ideas for those newly acquainted with zucchini that threaten to take over the world (starting with the garden).
There are towns all across the country—from West Stockbridge to Windsor, Fla., Ludlow, Vt., and Hayward, Calif.—that have given in to the allure of this prolific vegetable, celebrating its abundance in the form of zucchini festivals. These late-summer rituals boast all manner of games and contests featuring zucchini—zucchini races, zucchini carving, and more—as well as the latest in zucchini cuisine. If you’ve made all the zucchini bread you can stand, you’re in luck: there are more options out there.
Although my family will tell you—with eyes rolling—that I’m a food adventurer, I’m not as brave as Andrew Zimmern, of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods. Though I’ve been tempted by recipes pairing zucchini with chocolate or having it as the main ingredient in ice cream, I haven’t gone there yet, out of fears that those concoctions could put me off two of my favorite foods forever. However, I have ventured into a couple of zucchini-based desserts, and each year expand my repertoire of zucchini main dishes and condiments. Here is a sampling from my collection: