Get a handle on your abundant zukes with cookbook

My editor at the paper, Kelli DuFresne, e-mailed me a couple of weeks ago and asked for some zucchini recipes. It just so happened that I was going up to the Farmers Market at Tahoe City that Thursday morning -- and lo and behold, they had "The Classic Zucchini Cookbook" for sale.

I bought it and have been trying zucchini recipes ever since. So for the month of September, it will be zucchini, zucchini and more zucchini.

Pesto plus zucchini makes "zesto" to top these delicious toasts. Serve them as an hors d'oeuvre, with soup or just as they are on a bigger slice of bread for a light lunch. These are fun snacks to make with children and maybe a way to get your kids to eat a vegetable!

Zesto Bruschetta

10 slices of baguette or 5 slices of Italian bread, halved

1 clove garlic, cut in half

1 cup grated zucchini or other summer squash

1/2 cup pesto (homemade or store bought)

10 tomato slices

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat broiler. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Toast until golden. Rub the cut halves of the garlic clove on the toasted bread.

Mix the zucchini and pesto together. Cover each toast slice with zesto mixture and broil for about 1 minute. Top with tomato slice, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and broil just long enough to melt cheese. Serves 5 to 10.

This is a good recipe. I'm not fond of zucchini, but I really liked this.

Zucchini Pizza Bites

2 to 3 medium-size zucchini or yellow summer squash cut into 1/2-inch rounds

Olive oil

2/3 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 to 6 mushrooms, sliced

6 to 8 black olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 400. Brush both sides of zucchini lightly with olive oil and arrange on baking sheet. Roast for around 5 minutes, or until the slices are just tender. Combine the tomato sauce and cheeses. Spread one spoonful of tomato sauce mixture on each zucchini slice. Top each slice with mushroom and olive slice. Return baking sheet to oven and bake until the cheese is melted and sauce is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Coming up in two weeks, Vegetable Lasagna.

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What a great barbecue! If you missed the 10th annual Boys & Girls Club barbecue this year, you better mark your calendars and save the date for next year. You cannot get a better bang for your buck while helping out a great organization at the same time.

You feel good from all the fabulous food, unlimited beverage, camaraderie, music and all-around good vibes. It takes a lot of dedicated volunteers and staff putting in many man hours and behind-the-scene planning to make an event like this successful.

It also takes a friend of the club with the resources and commitment to make it happen every year (thanks Clark Russell and Clete Wandler). Jennifer Russell did and outstanding job of chairing the event this year.

It goes to show you that people in Carson City are constantly supporting our nonprofit organizations. Anyone who says there is nothing to do in Carson doesn't have a clue. There is always something going on, and most of the time it is to help support any of a number of good causes.

There were some bargains in the silent auction and a few surprises in the live auction. I am always amazed at how much some of the items sell for. The top moneymaker for food was a winning bid of $4,000 for a dinner for eight at Adele's. A champagne brunch (donated by the Marrone's) went for $2,000. What are we going to serve for a $2,000 breakfast? I haven't got a clue just yet, but I'm thinking it won't be my buttermilk pancakes.

I know one thing for sure, the party who bought the dinner at Adele's won't be disappointed because we were invited guests to one of those dinners, and it was a memorable evening that we still talk about.

Linda Marrone has lived in Carson City since 1973, and with her husband, Ralph, formerly operated Marrone's Restaurant in Carson City and Somethin's Cookin' Catering.