Apparently, my uncle placed zucchini seeds in our garden.
Ew. “Zucchini?” I thought.
I forgot all about the vegetable until last night, when the zucchini in our garden was mentioned again: “The zucchini is starting to bloom,” my mom said.
Yuck.
My mom apparently could see the disgust on my face because she said, “What? You like zucchini.”
Since when? Then, I thought about it… and you know what? I do like zucchini.
I have honestly never given zucchini much thought. It has never been on my list of “favorite vegetables” like corn, carrots, and potatoes.
I never realized how many recipes I like that include zucchini.
For instance, zucchini bread. It even has zucchini in its name, and yet I still thought I didn’t like zucchini. (In my defense, if you’ve ever had zucchini bread, you know the zucchini is kind of hidden).
And have you ever been to a hibachi grill? They’ve always put zucchini in my mixed vegetables, and I’ve eaten it!
The green summer squash even has several health benefits I was unaware of, such as the ability to lower cholesterol, aiding cardiovascular health, and providing Vitamins A and C.
In fact, it is believed that zucchini may also help in preventing cancer: “the vitamins C and A, as well as folate, found in zucchini act as powerful antioxidants that fight oxidative stress that can lead to many different types of cancer,” according to HealthDiaries.com.
I’m sorry, zucchini, that I was painfully unaware to the fact that I enjoy your taste… not to mention the fact that you offer health benefits that I desperately need in my diet!
Readers: If you are like me and would like to incorporate more zucchini into your life, especially because it's in season, here are five zucchini recipes—desserts, snacks, and meals—for you to try:
1. Zucchini-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
2. Zucchini Parmesan and Corn
3. Zucchini Feta Patties
4. Zucchini Pizza Bites
5. Cheeseburger-Stuffed Zucchini
I’m most looking forward to trying the zucchini pizza bites. What about you?
This blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, a PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She enjoys using the Twitter app way too much.
