We're still here and wanted to quickly share....

I haven't a lot of time these days, trying to keep up with pasture irrigation, the garden( weeding, watering and harvesting), regular chores( animals, house, cooking, errands, etc....)  but we are getting a large supply of zucchini now( made a mistake and planted zucchin seed instead of Little Dumpling squash, now we have eight zucchin plants, YIKES!, LOL) and wanted to share some ways to enjoy it and preserve it for future use.

Zucchini casserole
This is a recipe my Mom always made and is a favorite, either as a side dish or an meal in itself.

3-4 medium zucchini
1 large onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic( we like garlic, this can be omitted or decreased)
2 large tomatoes( sliced into 1/4" slices) or 15 or so cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2-3 c.shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese, or even a pepper jack is very good!
1lb bacon or a good flavored loose sausage( cooked) works well too

Cut the bacon into bite sized pieces and begin cooking on low heat, you want it cooked but not crispy. Add onions and garlic and continue to cook on low until onions are tender.
While bacon, onions and garlic are cooking slice the zucchini into 1/4" thick or maybe a bit thicker slices, do your tomatoes at this time as well.
Lightly grease a lasagna sized dish and place a layer of zucchini slices, overlapping a bit, now take half the amount of the bacon mixture and sprinkle over these, now add a layer of tomato slices and top with half the amount of cheese, repeat the layering, ending with cheese.  Now bake this in a slow oven, covered with foil( 275 to 300F) for approx 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

We also grate zucchini and freeze it in 2c. amounts for making zucchini bread or cake. You can also slice it a bit thicker than 1/4" and dehydrate for later use in soups and casseroles. We also like the dehydrated zucchini, soaked in salt water first( for an hour) and sprinkled, (before dehydrating) with a french fry season mix we buy and eat them as a substitute for potato chips.

BTW, I've been following a blog for some time now, a fellow homesteader. They refer to themselves as Modern Day Rednecks, but are nothing like some of the Redneck jokes I've seen or heard. This family is hard working and building up a nice homestead on a very frugal budget. Their blog has a wonderful picture story of the farm's growth( especially building their mini barn) and just recently were blessed with goats, miniature horses, a dog and..... well, you go take a look for yourself I know you'll enjoy your tour on Modern Day Redneck.