The annual problem: What to do with all that zucchini

A relative brings over a giant zucchini. We cut it in half and give part of it to a friend. The next day someone gives the friend a zucchini - she gives it to us. We give one from our own garden to one of our neighbors. She acts happy - says she's going to make zucchini bread. As we leave via her back door, we notice that the vines in her garden are loaded with the evil gourd. "I bet she gives it away," I tell Amy. "It might even come back to us in a day or two."

Why do we go through this every year? Why do we plant so much zucchini? Do we miss the Christmas re-gifting ritual that much that we had to come up with our own summer version?

When my parents sold their house in suburban New York and moved to a condo in Florida, my mother missed her zucchini terribly. She used to eat the flowers. She breaded them in flour and egg and fried them in olive oil. They were delicious. It's an Italian thing... For some reason, you can only eat the female flowers. I could never tell which was which.

After my father died, she begged us to grow zucchini, so she could eat the flowers when she would come to visit. I resisted for years. People were giving us zucchini until it was coming out our ears, I would remind Amy every time the subject came up. Mom is gone now and I feel sorry that we never planted zucchini while she was alive. We have it now, however. And people are still still giving it to us. I should eat the flowers, but I wouldn't want to mistakenly eat a male.

Fortunately, we have some extra help this year. Allen Street Al, our resident ground hog, has developed a taste for the young gourds. And then there is always zucchini bread and a host of other recipes to reduce the supply. Good luck - and don't bring me a zucchini.

Zucchini recipes on the Food Network

P.S. Watch out - the killer tomatoes are never far behind!