There are zucchini all over my kitchen. They sit in glass bowls, in wooden bowls, in cupboards, and in the refrigerator. August 8 was National Sneak Some Zucchini On Your Neighbor’s Porch Day (and yes, that’s a real thing) and apparently my neighbors got the best of me.
I can’t go anywhere without someone trying to give me a zucchini. I get them at work. I get them from friends. I’ve even seen folks handing them out in the gym locker room. (Luckily, they haven’t snuck any into my gym bag yet.) There’s a saying around my neck of the woods that the only reason to lock your car is to keep people from leaving zucchini.
And I’m not complaining. I like free food. And to be honest, I still haven’t been able to grow my own zucchini in my backyard garden. (Darn you, little critters!) Yet, there’s only so much grilled zucchini I can handle in a week. So, I’ve found a creative use for the extra zucchini: giving it away.
Paying the zucchini forward might be my favorite late summer hobby. It’s like a game of musical chairs: the last person holding the zucchini has to saute it. When a friend gives me a zucchini, I give it to a relative. When a relative gives me a zucchini, I give it to a friend. And the bigger and more awkward the zucchini, the more fun it is to pass it along. I’m officially involved in this big ol’ zucchini brigade. And it’s a lot more fun than paying forward the oysters.
So, if you see me this summer, lock your car door. And if you decide to keep your zucchini, here’s a great recipe for crispy zucchini chips.
