This morning I went out to trim the zucchini plants growing on the left side of the garden box. Getting around to the back of the raised beds to water my tomato plants has a little tricky lately since the winter squash are growing right behind the tomato plants.
So much for trimming a few leaves. 😉 I ended up massacring each and everyone of the poor, helpless zucchini plants. 
And I don’t even feel bad about it. After all I’ve already made a gazillion loaves of zucchini bread and a year’s supply of zucchini relish. Sure I’ll miss grilled zucchini as a side dish but c’mon people…. tomatoes are just a little higher on the priority list don’t you think? 
Now all I need to do is get in there and prune my tomato plants, tie them up and then I can plant another round of green beans and some fall crops like carrots and beets. Once the weather cools down a bit I’ll set out my lettuce and broccoli starts. Maybe even some bok choy.
How are YOUR tomatoes doing? Are you harvesting them yet, or are they stubborn like mine and taking their own sweet time this year?
~Mavis
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Lee says
I really like to make zucchini patties. Typically I pair it with spaghetti noodles and marina. I made a round this weekend and froze about 10 dinners/lunches for us.
Here is link to the recipe I use, but I no longer waste my time trying to blot away the water. I just add more breadcrumbs ~.^
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-patties/
suzanne says
Hi Lee, thanks for the link! They’re on the menu for tonight, so versatile.
Jonnie says
Tomatoes :regular, grape, cherry, pear, green, and peppers, any and all kinds, are worth destroying, a squash plant for. Not much else is worth it.
Mrs. Chow says
Like you, I moved last year, and I seem to be at ground zero for cucumber beetles and squash borers. My zucchini is not very prolific, but I have yellow squash coming out of my ears. I tried Tatuma Squash from Botanical Interest for the first time ever, and we love it. It is more drought hardy than the others, the insects don’t find it as tasty, but we do.
I got a VERY late start putting out my tomato seedlings, so late that I never even repotted them to larger pots, first. I was worried about any sort of a harvest, so I bought 15 starts from my local nursery. The starts have been producing for about a month, and are now getting to the flood stage! My seedlings are now four feet tall and covered with baby tomatoes and flowers, so I have hope that by September I will see another flood of tomatoes. The bad news is that the stink bugs have found my tomatoes, and LOVE LOVE LOVE my Green Zebras. Seriously, they zero in on those tomatoes in particular. We also harvested our first three watermelons yesterday. I tried Orangeglo from Botanical Interest, and it’s gorgeous and tasty! My HH just flipped out and wants me to grow it every year!
Mavis Butterfield says
One of the benefits of a new, first year garden is the lack of pests. I LOVE it. Green Zebra’s rule, I didn’t plant any this year but they are on my list for next. And thanks for the heads up on the Tatuma squash. I am going to put it on my wish list for next year.
Linda says
My gardens doing great but some of the tomatoes have small web like growth covering the leaves and fruit? Do you know what to do?????
Liz says
No garden this year because of the drought and water rationing. Supporting local farmers heavily this year.
maile says
what is up with all this unusually hot & sunny pac nw weather and yet GREEN tomatoes. I thought I’d have a bumper crop right now…. but still green (sigh).
Vicki says
Oh, I’m so sad. When I had a garden, the squash never did as well as I hoped it would. The one year I did get decent squash was the year I planted rampicante tromboncino, and they were fairly prolific (plus the squash vine borers were not fond of them). I never had enough squash that I could share baskets with neighbors, although I would have gladly if I’d ever harvested more than one at a time (from 8 plants). I would have happily sacrificed some of my 10-foot tall tomato plants for more squash …
Espi says
Mavis, slice the zucchini between 1/4 to 1/2 inch lengthwise brush with olive oil and grill as usual. Lay flat on a cookie sheet and freeze over night. Then place in portions that work for you in freezer zip bags. Zap in microwave about a minute (depending on quantity). It’s like you just pulled it off the grill.
Jennifer says
Is any one else finding maggots in their tomatoes ?
(The fruit itself, not the roots)
I had hundreds of tiny white maggots crawling all over my kitchen counter
(where my tomatoes had been sitting for a couple of days).
I looked the maggots up on the internet, and it said that if you have a compost pile,
you are going to get maggots in your tomatoes.
I know that by growing your own vegetables it is a given that you are eating a lot more bugs then if you buy vegetables from the grocery store,
but these things were disgusting.
I dug up my tomato plants and threw them away.
How do Organic gardeners deal with the maggots?
Do you just use your tomatoes as soon as you pick them,
(in salads, pasta sauce, canning or etc. )
Without looking at them too closely, and without letting them sit around
for a few days before you use them ?
Candice C. says
I’ve had a compost bin (actually two) and a huge vegetable garden since 1976 and have never had maggots in tomatoes or any other veggie grown. The only thing I can think of is perhaps a fly laid eggs while the tomatoes sat on the counter. We had a late start this year since my youngest daughter was married mid-May and the entire wedding was diy so the veggies went in mid-June.The tomatoes are reaching five feet now and are loaded with fruit although yet green. When we do harvest them we need to use a wheel barrow, park it outside the kitchen door and take the next couple days to process them. We make a year’s supply of pasta sauce,chili sauce,salsa,pizza sauce and canned tomatoes.But have never had a maggot or insect in our veggies.Try placing netting over them if they must sit on the counter.We cover our wheelbarrow with a tarp if they must sit outside before processing.
JC says
Do you ever just shred and freeze zucchini? I’m testing it out right now to see if I can still make fritters and bread from the frozen stuff. I really love the smell of baked goods in winter, and just don’t have the energy to bake in the summer.
Mavis Butterfield says
I have. Just make sure after you shred the zucchini, you squeeze out as much liquid as possible. 🙂 Have fun, I love zucchini in the winter.
Another Lisa says
Yeah, me too, it works great to shred a bunch and freeze in ziplocks. My daughter keeps asking me make zucchini bread but I just can’t turn the oven on in this heat, no matter how good a nice loaf would be. (I use Mavis’ recipe she posted awhile back…)
(Not gonna admit that I still have zucchini from 2 seasons ago…we didn’t even plant any this year…)
Edwin says
If you are trying to feed vegetables to the dedicated carnivores in your life, grab your grater. Mix the grated zukes in with the ground beef or turkey in your meatballs, burgers, meatloaves etc.
Works with yellow squash too.