So, I just noticed there is such a thing as "Foodie Tuesday".  PLUS, I just noticed it's Tuesday.  What a happy coincidence THIS is.  Because there is, right now, roughly 50 pounds of produce covering my kitchen counters, sink, and floor, and I really don't want to deal with it.  Any of it.

"How did this happen?", you might ask.  I'm so glad you might have asked that.  Because, truth be told, I'd SO much rather sit here at the computer and drink more coffee and answer hypothetical questions I posed for myself than, say, make and can 12 quarts of tomato sauce, make zucchini salsa (Recipe follows.  It's worth it.  I made it up, and should receive some kind of award for it.) cook all that kale and beets, and scrub the many, MANY sides of a bunch of goddamned carrots, which I'm not ALL that crazy about, anyway. 

Plus, are Jerusalem artichokes good for anything, really?  They're nothing like REAL artichokes, which are basically the perfect vehicle for mayonnaise and butter, and they have even more sides to clean than carrots.  There's something unethical about calling yourself an artichoke while tasting like a rutabaga. Will someone let me know if you discover their purpose?

PLUS, my refrigerator and freezer are at the full-t0-the-brink-of-exploding stage.  Where will I PUT all these things once they're prepared?

How this happened (glad you asked) is, I belong to a CSA coop (Community Supported Agriculture, where you help support nice hippies growing organic vegetables in your neighborhood by agreeing to pay a certain amount every year in exchange for a GIANT BOX OF PRODUCE EVERY WEEK, which you then have to figure out what to do with.  Which is good, really - I eat more vegetables, and try new ones, and get to go out to the farm once a week and chat with the neighbors, which is very sweet.), and just picked up my last box for the season, which is larger than the other boxes.  PLUS,  my many tomato plants, some of which I planted and some of which grew up out of my compost scattered all over the yard, have just decided to bust out and start making tomatoes.  LOTS of them.  Say, a gazillion. Likewise zucchini.  You get the picture, I think.

I WILL make zucchini salsa.  I WILL. 

But first I think I'll, um, write about it.  And have just one more cup of coffee. . .

Zucchini Salsa recipe.  Here goes:

2 cups zucchini, scrubbed

1/2 onion 

2 or 3 big tomatoes, or 1 can diced tomatoes

some tomatillos, if you have them (maybe 4, or maybe 8.  Something like that.  This isn't rocket science.)

1 tbsp crushed garlic (see note below)

1 -2 tbsp pureed chipotles (see note 2 below)

juice of 1 lime

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1/2-1 tsp salt

Get out the food processor.  Go ahead - I know you hate to do it, but it'll be worth it.  No, really.  

(NOTE: THIS COULD BE LIFE-CHANGING:  I buy peeled garlic cloves in big jars at Costco and puree them with just enough vinegar to make them go 'round in the food processor.  It'll keep forever in the fridge, although the acid turns some kinds of garlic turquoise.  The vinegar isn't enough to affect the flavor.  I suggest you do this first, and THEN,)

(NOTE 2) I also buy small cans of chipotle chiles at Grocery Outlet and puree them.  Do this after you do the garlic, above, and you'll have some wonderful garlic/chipotle puree in the freezer for salsa next time.  Also for a delicious sweet onion/pepper/chipotle/cream cheese dip I make.  More about that later. . .)

Now, cut the zukes in half, lengthwise, so you can jam them into the processor.  Use the blade on the bottom, and chop them with the onion and just enough tomato to make it all go around.  Chopped, not turned to mush, is what we're shootin' for.

Dump all that in a big bowl.  Add the rest of the tomatoes, tomatillos, and cilantro, all of which you've chopped just a bit in the processor.  Add pureed chipotles and garlic, lime, alla that.  Freeze some in old yogurt tubs, and eat the rest on fish tacos or something.  Yum, right?

Oh, and P.S.: Fish Tacos:  Melt some jack cheese and red bell peppers on corn tortillas in a skillet in a little olive oil.  Spread with mayonnaise, and add any kind of fish, grated cabbage, a squeeze of lime and my fabulous zucchini salsa.  Recipe above, if you missed it.   Fold in half and eat with Mexican beer and gusto.  Don't wear anything nice for this meal.

You can also leave out the fish and have a wonderful Puerto Escondido-style quesadilla, which is where I got this idea.  Back in my misspent youth.

OK - I'm goin' in.  Pray for me.