Work has gotten ridiculously boring and slow, and yet, it still takes up all my time. I find this frustrating. It has gone from the frantic, crowded, round-the-clock pace of a month ago to a small operation, shrinking daily. Personally, I like my days to be busy. instead, I am there, on the clock, when there are so many things that need doing here at home.
Like tend to my garden, for instance.
I discovered yesterday that long grasses had smothered the thyme patch I started 2 years ago. We moved into a place that was stripped and mowed. There are two fruit trees, an apple and a pear, that have been here many years, long before the previous residents took over. I tend to start things that will increase each year, but these people left nothing. So after living in the same house for 20 years, I had to start from scratch. The first spring, I planted 2 sprigs of mint from a bed at work, which are a huge patch now. I started some oregano and rosemary growing, and I planted a small patch of thyme near the old well. It was doing well until I ran out of time to keep it weeded.
I have been visiting the garden every evening, and I kept checking the zucchini plants. After the largest plant, a volunteer, gave me one fruit, it never did anything again, or so I thought.
Actually, it draped itself over the backside of the raised bed, and continued growing in a small, weed choked space between the edge of the bed and a rabbit fence. It's too narrow a space to mow, and the weeds are as high as the bed. It was only when I spotted the top of something that looked like a zucchini from outer space that I got suspicious.
All those squash in the picture were growing, hidden by the weeds, from one volunteer plant. I saved the seeds. Then I hooked up a grater attachment to food processor and grated all but the smallest two. It gave me 2 1/2 gallons of grated zucchini.
So far, I've made two kinds of zucchini slaw (traditional cole slaw and oriental) and zucchini bread, but this is only the beginning. I tried zucchini bread from Joy of Cooking last year and didn't like it. Too sweet, too boring. So this is my take on zucchini bread. It's wonderful.
There is no logical reason for the space between the spices. It's a computer glitch.
Zucchini Bread
350˚, 1 hour, 2 standard loaves (or 24 muffins)
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
1 t almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/2 t allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
I don't save directions in most of my recipes. Beat the sugar into the oil, beat in eggs. Add extract. Mix dry goods and fold in gently. Fold in zucchini and nuts. Oil pans. Bake, etc.
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