Too many summer squash?

It is a fact of life that when you grow zucchini (courgettes), you end up with too many. Neighbours will run from you, even in a small town, people start locking their vehicles, you are marked as 'those people trying to give away zukes'! If you don't want to be ostracised for the rest of the season, and if you have eaten all the zucchini you can for one season, you need some good, wholesome recipes to preserve your summer squash.

Zucchini Relish
(Yield: about 4 half pints though we usually quadruple the amounts)

2 cups of chopped zucchinis (about 3 medium) remove seeded middle if the zuchini are large, no need to peel.
1 cup of chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped sweet green pepper ( about 1 small)
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper ( about 1 small)
1/2 cup chopped hot pepper (we use habanero but whatever you have in the garden)

2 tablespoons of salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons of celery seed
1 teaspoon of mustard seed
1 cup cider vinegar

Combine zucchini, onion and peppers; sprinkle with salt; cover with cold water. Let stand for 2 hours.
Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucpan, bring to a boil.
Add vegetable, simmer for 10 minutes.
Pack relish into hot jars leaving 1/4inch  headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust 2 piece caps.
Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Zucchini Bars
(These freeze well)

3/4 cup margarine softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of coconut
3/4 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10x15 jelly roll pan. Cream margerine and sugar together till light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Sift flour, baking powder and salt, add to creamed mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in prepared pan and bake 35 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

Variations:leave out coconut and raisins and replace with 8 tablespoons of cocoa for brownies
or: add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips for choc chip bars.
you can also add nuts.

While the zucchinis are still growing and blooming, try battering and deep frying the flowers. You can even stuff the flower before battering it. Guaranteed to impress your dinner guests!

There are always those people who say they do not like zucchinis, rest assured no-one will notice the 2 recipes above contain zukes unless you tell them!