Zapple it!

Before I forget: if you end up with an overgrown zucchini from the garden, try zapple-ing it! This only works with a big, woody zucchini. 3 inches in diameter or more seems to work well.

From the Garden Vegetable Cookbook, by Andrea Chesman

Zapples:
Peel and core the zucchini, then cut it in half and slice in thick slices (imagine apple pieces).
Cook 4 cups of zucchini in 1/3 c fresh lemon juice (don't add more liquid, the zucchini will give off quite a bit of water).
Once mostly tender, remove from heat and add 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

Puree for zapplesauce (cold applesauce from the fridge, spiked with cinnamon is such a nice, relatively healthy treat to eat on a hot summer day), or use to make zapple muffins:

Muffin batter
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c butter softened
1 c sugar
2 lg eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk

Sift dry ingredients together in one bowl, cream butter and sugar in another, add eggs one at a time, beat until well combined. Add dry mixture and buttermilk to butter-sugar-eggs alternately, starting and ending with flour mixture. Stir in zapplesauce until just evenly distributed. The batter will be stiff- an ice cream scoop is good for portioning.

Bake in greased muffin cups at 350 20-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

For zapple pie, use 6 cups zucchini, 1/2 c lemon juice, and stir in 3/4 c sugar (rather than 1/2c), 1- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 2 tablespoons instant tapioca or cornstarch, and use as you would apples. The starch is necessary, because they will give off a lot of liquid. I would also undercook them, leaving the slices a little al dente, before using in pie, or they'll go to mush.

I know this sounds like something your loony, overzealous hippie gardening neighbor would make, but I tried it before I put this up here. I made a zapple tart and took it to work. Everyone kept coming in and telling me how great the apple tart was. You should have seen their faces when I revealed the zucchini surprise. They could not believe it. Hopelessly garden geeky, I know, but when life gives you... well, three foot zucchinis, you've got to make lemonade, if you know what I mean.