Being a gardener, I’m susceptible to zucchini guilt–feeling very guilty for pitching nature’s bounty in the form of overgrown zucchinis onto the compost pile.  It’s hard to keep up with harvesting them, especially once your refrigerator is full of zucchini!  I have suggested a practical solution in a previous recipe.  Well, it is that time of year again and I thought to remind you about “putting up” zucchini the easy way.  If you are faced with the zucchini challenge, visit that post!

Yesterday, I grated 6 medium-sized zucchini; besides the 3 bags of “wrung out” grated zucchini I froze, I also got 1 quart of zucchini “water” which I refrigerated. This morning I had a smoothie for breakfast and instead of water, I used the zucchini juice that is generated by following this previously posted recipe.  It was much better with the zucchini juice!  Yes, the salt in the zucchini juice will alter the taste but it was more than that.  A nice surprise given I was expecting to taste, well, zucchini.

Enjoy the growing season with all its bounty!

Here’s another idea for a quick, nourishing broth using the zucchini “water”:

1 cup zucchini “water”

1/2 tsp. dried onion flakes or granules (not onion salt)

1 tsp. miso (I like “MisoMaster” chickpea miso)

Heat zucchini “water” and onion granules in a saucepan to a simmer.  Remove from heat.  Place miso in a mug or bowl.  Add a little of the hot liquid and mix the miso paste into the liquid until homogenized.  Add the rest of the hot liquid to the mug and stir well.  Enjoy while warm.