What am I gonna do with all this zucchini?

by Sarah Buhr

The zucchini is going from zero to zillions right about this time of year.  A lot of you may be asking yourselves "What am I going to do with it all? You can only give so much away before neighbors try to give you some of theirs. Here's are some great recipes and ways to make the most of that plentiful green squash:


Zucchini and Thyme

This is a delightfully simple dish from my good friend Meijken


Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 pound fresh zucchini, cut into 3-by-1/2-inch sticks
1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled (use vegetarian bouillon for vegetarian option)
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

zucchini-thyme-1.jpg zucchini-thyme-2.jpg

1 In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter on medium heat. Add the onion and parsley and cook until soft, but not browned.

2 Add the zucchini sticks, crumbled bouillon cube, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently stir to coat the zucchini. Cover and cook until tender, from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how tender the the raw zucchini is to begin with, and how small you have sliced the pieces. Check and stir every few minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

Serves 4.


Stuffed Zucchini


2 medium zucchini
1/2 pound ground beef or bulk Italian sausage
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon dill weed
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cut zucchini in half, lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-inch shell. Chop pulp; set pulp and shells aside. In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add pulp, breadcrumbs, milk and dill. Spoon into zucchini shells. Place in greased 2-quart baking dish. Top with spaghetti sauce and cheese. Cover and bake at 325 F for 30 minutes or until zucchini is tender.


Zucchini Casserole


2 zucchini, cut into round discs, unpeeled
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
butter

Preheat oven to 350 F. Put a layer of zucchini in a baking dish. Dab with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper and some of the chopped onions. Repeat layers until zucchini and onion are used up. Sprinkle cheese on top, and spoon soy sauce over all. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.


Even more ideas!

Lauralee from Portland suggests canning zucchini with pineapple. "It tastes just like pineapple" she says.

Christy from The Rock Spot blog likes to shred it up and add to meatloaf. More nutritious and what a great addition!

Linden from the Newsminer suggests making zucchini tomato cheese melts. For a quick and unusual accompaniment to soup, try zucchini-tomato-cheese melts. Take a young zucchini and slice it in half lengthways. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Top with thin slices of tomato and then with thin slices of cheese (my favorite is mozzarella). Put under the broiler until the cheese has melted. Let cool until warm and serve. (If you have any fresh basil, sprinkle that on top.)

You could also try making muffins. Buy the cheapest brand of spice cake mix, not the one labeled “extra moist.” Halve the amount of oil they instruct you to add, and after you have mixed all the ingredients together, fold in one cup of finely grated zucchini (first leave it on a paper towel for about 20 minutes to suck out some of the juices). Bake as instructed. If you use one of those 25-muffin- cup tins, you can get about 75 tiny cupcakes that are perfect for little mouths or potlucks.


Create zucchini pasta. Shred long strands of zucchini as a substitute. Great for those on a carb diet or for people allergic to wheat.

Whatever you do with that extra green, hope it's delicious and you have plenty of people to share it with.



Share
Make a Free Website with Yola.