I am determined to be a better gardener next year. This year, my plant placement wasn’t always correct (some things too close, others too far apart!). I’ve found out that there are certain vegetables I don’t love enough to eat by the bushel as they come into the garden (like cucumbers).
On the other hand, there are other vegetables that I thought I wasn’t a huge fan of, but it turns out I love them fresh! Case in point? Cherry tomatoes. They are now my favorite vegetable, and we’ve been getting about a pint of them a day out of the garden!
Aren’t they cute?
Okay, moving on.
This year, my zucchini plants were far too close together. I had no idea how big they’d get! Because the leafy plants were so densely packed, I completely missed some HUGE zucchini. By the time I picked them, they were the size of baseball bats. Check it out:
Huge zucchini = huge zucchini boats = stuffed zucchini attempt #2!
The first time I made stuffed zucchini, I went with a Thai Peanut flavor. It tasted good, but the sauce did not bake well . This time, I decided to take an Italian spin on the dish and topped it with fresh pesto, made with basil from the garden.
Pesto Stuffed Zucchini
1 monster zucchini (or 4 regular ones if you don’t have monsters!)
1 T. olive oil
For the filling:
1 1/2 c. millet
3 c. water
1/2 c. chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. chopped cherry tomatoes
For the pesto:
1 basil
2 cloves garlic
1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 400*F.
To make the filling:
Over medium-high heat, cook the millet in the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the water has been absorbed. Season with salt and pepper, then mix in the tomatoes.
In the meantime, prep the zucchinis and make the pesto.
To prep the zucchini:
Cut of the ends and cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides to leave a 1/4″ thick boat or shell. Lay the zucchini cut-side up in an 8×10 pan lined with foil and rub with 1 T. olive oil.
Chop up the scooped out insides and add them to the millet. No need to waste any of the zucchini!
To make the pesto:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well-mixed.
To assemble:
Fill the zucchini boats with the millet mixture, mounding slightly. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400*F. Top with pesto and enjoy!
I typically just throw a zucchini in some stir fry, you’ve made it a meal! Fully loaded and looks great.
Yum Julie!!! Love pesto and love zucchini!
this looks so good! I’m bookmarking this now!
As far as the gardening goes. You live, you learn. I will be absolutely clueless the first year I start mine!
i was thinking today.
about your gardening.
are you going to do some “preparing the savvy garden for winter” posts?