An Overabundance of Zucchini

Give a show of hands if your zucchini has taken over your home garden. I thought so. You know that one big zucchini that is hiding among the leaves. It ends up bigger than the length of your arm. Here is my dilemma. I am the only one that likes zucchini, and I only sort of like it. You ask then why on earth are you growing it. It makes me feel like a real gardener. It is so easy to grow that even I can do it. To be truthful, I have had a good garden this year. We have enjoyed cantaloupe, peppers and tomatoes. But the zucchini has been plentiful.

So I have made zucchini bread, grilled zucchini, zucchini pizza, grilled zucchini with goat cheese and zucchini soup. The zucchini soup is my favorite so far. The original recipe came from an old copy of Everyday Food. Son number 1 is beginning to really like soup and I thought this would be a good way to get some veggies into him. I made a few changes to the original recipe. I used chicken stock instead of water and the original recipe called for curry. I am not a big fan of curry so I changed the spice profile to a more herbaceous flavor. I used herbs de provence instead. I really enjoyed the soup. I hope you do as well.

Garden Zucchini Soup (adapted from Everyday Food)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
pinch coarse salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons herbs de provence
2 tablespoon dry sherry
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds shredded zucchini
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and herbs de provence and freshly ground pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add zucchini, potato, and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

In batches, puree soup in a blender (do not fill more than halfway and take the center off the lid and cover with a towel) until smooth; serve immediately.