August 16, 2019 Zucchini, Magness Holman, François-Andre Michaux, Serviceberry, Francis Darwin, Kenneth Woodbridge, Sylvia Plath, Sara Baume, Sue Monk Kid, Plant Parenting by Leslie Halleck, Bee Balm, and the Secret of Stourhead Garden
Subscribe
Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart
Support The Daily Gardener
Connect for FREE!
The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community
Monologue
Are you swimming in zucchini yet?
Emily Seftel, of The Tennessean, wrote an article in 2006 titled "Gad zuks!" - which I think is hilarious; we don’t use that term enough, do we?
Anyway, the article started this way:
"Zucchini, the summer squash, is the Rodney Dangerfield of the produce world it gets no respect."
Then, the article goes on to share some recipes, which were offered by Chef Laura Slama, who said,
"When you’re cooking with zucchini, all you need to do is add a little olive oil and kosher salt to bring out it’s flavor."
The three recipes she shared were for Mexican Zucchini Corn and Black Tostadas, which looked amazing. Then, Sautéed Zucchini Strings, which are zucchini that’s been turned into spaghetti. And, finally, she shared an Orzo Pasta with Roasted Zucchini.
One of my favorite zucchini recipes comes from The New Zucchini Cookbook and Other Squash by Nancy Ralston and Mary Jordan.
It’s for a zucchini basil tart:
- You drain salted zucchini and tomato slices on paper towels.
- You purée basil in a food processor with ricotta and eggs, and you add mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Then you line a 9-inch pie shell with zucchini slices.
- Spoon the basil mixture over the top, and then put the tomato slices on top.
- Then brush the entire top with olive oil and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Yum.
Botanical History On This Day
1745 Magness Holman was born, the painter remembered for a widely recognized late-18th-century portrait that still quietly circulates through garden history.
1770 François-André Michaux was born, the son of André Michaux who explored North America’s forests and later authored the monumental North American Silva.
1805 Serviceberry was recorded by Lewis and Clark near the Narrows of the Columbia River—an early note on a tree prized today for its four-season beauty.
1848 Francis Darwin was born, the botanist son of Charles Darwin whose work on plant movement revealed how seedlings bend toward light.
1988 Kenneth Woodbridge died, the garden historian whose writing illuminated the layered history of landscapes like Stourhead.
Unearthed Words
Words by Sylvia Plath, Sara Baume, and Sue Monk Kidd capture the month’s shimmering unease.
Grow That Garden Library™
Read The Daily Gardener review of Plant Parenting by Leslie Halleck
Buy the book on Amazon: Plant Parenting by Leslie Halleck
Today's Botanic Spark
2005 A hidden truth surfaced at Stourhead—a drowned garden, a grieving father, and a lake born of sorrow, reminding us that landscapes can hold memory as deeply as stone.
Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener
And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
Featured Book
