It's that time of year ...

Once zucchini starts coming it doesn't quit for a long, long time. There are tales of people locking their car doors when they go to church to ward off gifts of zucchini from generous neighbors. So far this year we've had it grilled and sautéed; tonight I'm scooping out a couple of bigger ones and baking them stuffed with a sausage/bread crumb/zucchini/onion mixture.

My favorite thing to do with excess zucchini is to make relish. I've lost my favorite recipe from years ago, and am searching Chef Internet to find a reasonable substitute. Most of the recipes I've looked at so far are very similar … grate a bunch of zucchini and onions, mix with salt, let it sit overnight, drain, mix in chopped red and/or green peppers and spices, cook for half an hour. Ladle into jars, process in a boiling water bath and you've got enough relish for a year. And it's practically free, if you don't count the time you spent preparing the garden bed, planting the seeds and weeding the hills.

My peppers won't be red for a while, so I'll have to pick up a couple at the grocery. Grrr. In the meantime, though, you'll find me in the kitchen, shredding zukes.