Yes indeed, it is zucchini time again. Zucchini has to be the most versatile veggie on the planet!!! I know many people who say, I don't like them. WHAT? Have you even tried them? They take on the flavor on whatever you are cooking it with - so if it has no taste - you aren't mixing it up enough!!!!
When my hubs was alive, he called me the Bubba Gump of zucchini!!! LOL. I can fix a zucchini just about any way one can think. I love them, and when they are producing, I eat them many times a week in some form or another.
Here we go!
You can add grated zucchini to waffles or pancakes for extra vitamins
Add grated to meatloaf or burgers
It is wonderful in spaghetti sauce.
They are great sliced and grilled
Add to sweet breads and muffins
It is actually pretty darn tasty. CLICK on picture to enlarge to read
Zoodles are yummy with spaghetti sauce or alfredo sauce. Cut slices the length of zucchini and use in place of lasagna noodles. (I use a mandolin for that).
You can load them with anything. Fix like you would stuffed peppers or use pizza fixings on tops. I make a version with cream cheese, jalapenos and cheddar cheese - that taste like poppers. There is no limit to how you can fix these. Bake or grill.
I have made mashed zucchini (squash) a few times as well. Cook zucchini in chunks (peeled) and /or yellow squash in a little both until very tender. Then mash and add a bit of parmesan cheese. Oh my goodness, that is tasty.
This made 2 good meals for me - that is a small cast iron pan. 2 sausage patties, fried and broken up. 1 small zucchini sliced. 1/2 pint of my homemade tomato sauce and a dab of salsa left in a jar. I added 1/2 cup of uncooked rice, and a little onion. Let it all simmer until rice is done and top with cheese.
Love a cream of soup. This is great in the fall using some of the zucchini you have frozen from the summer. CLICK on pic to enlarge.
I have sliced and added to jalapeno juice in the frig and after a couple weeks they taste like jalapenos
Turn them into faux pineapple - YEP
Dehydrate - I have made chips from them - which are a healthy snack.
Dehydrate grated zucchini for baking - 1/2 C dried zucchini = 2 C fresh. Place dry zucchini in 1 cup of warm water for about a half hour and you are ready to go. Good to add to soups and stews as well.
You can also dehydrate and then grind (puree/blend) into a flour. Replace some of the flour you use in baking with zucchini flour. Healthy and makes your flour go a bit further!
I love, love, love fried zucchini. Like fried green tomatoes. It is probably a summer favorite. Right up there with BLT's!
Another favorite are zucchini boats
Cut up like you would cucumbers - and make a zucchini, tomato and onion salad topped with your favorite vinaigrette or Italian dressing. You can add any kind of veggies you want with them. Such a refreshing salad.
An easy appetizer or just a great lunch or side is pizza bites. Super easy and can even be done on the grill. Healthier too!
I make a zucchini skillet dinner that my mom made a lot when I was younger. I do a couple versions. Both are very similar, one uses fresh sliced tomatoes on top and the other just has tomatoes mixed in.
I made it this week with my first zucchini!
This was G's absolute favorite way to have zucchini.
These are my favorite zucchini fritters. CLICK on pic to enlarge
I know - I could go on and on. Such a lovely gift God gave in this veggie. It can 'become' just about anything at all!
I have even made a 'mock' apple pie - using zucchini instead of apple - and none of the men in the family that ate it had a clue. They all asked for seconds!!!
So there is today's installment of Cheryl's Ways with Zucchini 101!!!!!!
If you have any questions or wonders - feel free to ask.
Do you have any super favorite meals or items you make with summer squash?
I find it totally amazing how much good food and versatility you can get from 1 zucchini seed that is planted. Isn't God wonderful?
Love zucchini. One of my favorite ways to prepare it - sautee slices with garlic in butter & top with grated cheddar. I often grate & freeze zucchini for muffins & loaves. I add zucchini to salsa.
ReplyDeleteYum. That sounds so tasty. I grate and freeze a lot as well. Like the salsa idea! Thanks
DeleteLove me some zucchini nut bread. Always moist and delicious!
ReplyDeleteYes it is. That sounds delish when the weather gets a bit cooler.
DeleteI use lots of zucchini. However, there are lots and lots of new ideas I can't wait to try. Our zucchini is yielding now so your timing is spot on! Thanks much!
ReplyDeleteMine is just starting as well - usually first part of July I try to give out some ideas. We will all soon be inundated! Enjoy
DeleteThe doggone squirrels got every last one of our tomatoes overnight so we will see if we can keep them out of the zucchini this year. Grrr...
ReplyDeleteAre you sure they were squirrels? They are usually not out at night. Opossums and racoons - yes.
DeleteI am so sorry your lost them. I have never had an animal bother my squash. What a bummer!
We saw the squirrel checking them out while we were eating supper in the porch. It is possible that as soon as we were out of sight inside they were eaten. Racoons could not reach them and we have never seen a possum in our yard in 28 years. Now we are back to square one on the tomatoes.
DeleteJust thinking. Usually when I have had squirrels in the garden - they take a bite or two and then leave the rest. I have never had them eat the whole tomato - that is why I was thinking something else. I started leaving out water for them and they leave the tomatoes alone. They are after moisture. My brother - who lives on 3 acres - had a huge problem - then he started leaving pans of water out and it stopped. Just a thought
DeleteIt is so dry here that I wonder if they were looking for moisture. We put out water for them last summer and got only one tomato that they did not eat all summer. A few days ago there was one tomato with a few bites and left on the deck but the entire tomato was gone this time unless they dropped them down under the edge of the deck where we cannot see them behind the shrubs. If we can't put a stop to it we will just pull up the plants and compost them. No point in being out in the heat caring for the plants for no crop. They already ate every plum on the tree so we were pretty upset with them already before this incident.
DeleteWhat a bummer. Yeah, no sense working so hard and not getting anything.
DeleteYum! Thanks for the recipes! I love zucchini. Sadly, my hubby doesn't. When our sons were teens, they enjoyed zucchini lasagna. There are all sorts of recipes our there, but here's a good meatless one that can be made in a skillet...
ReplyDeleteIngredients
4-5 medium-large zucchinis, sliced thin (1/8-inch cuts)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 cups mozzarella, shredded
3 cups tomato sauce
2 teaspoon fresh oregano
3 Tablespoons fresh basil
RICOTTA FILLING
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (drained of liquids)
1/4 cups parmesan cheese
1 egg
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (for dried basil use 2 Tablespoons)
Preheat oven to 375. Salt and pre-bake zucchini "noodles" (thin, lengthwise slices) on parchment paper for 8-10 minutes. This helps your lasagna from getting soggy.
In a mixing bowl, combine all ricotta filling ingredients well, which can be done while the zucchini is baking.
Spread a thin layer of sauce at the bottom of a baking dish and layer zucchini strips and ricotta filling; top with more sauce, mozzarella nd parmesan cheeses.
Bake at 375 degrees, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chopped basil (if desired), slice and serve. It makes quite a lot, so you can pare down the recipe to your needs.
As for critters, I've seen we have quite a few rabbits here. I wonder if they'd nibble garden zucchini? --Elise
I've used a 12 inch skillet in place of a baking dish for this and it works well.
DeleteYUM! Thanks for the recipe. Sounds tasty to me. I still don't understand what there is to not like! It takes on the flavor of everything else. Maybe the texture.
DeleteI have bunnies around - and so far so good here. Hope they don't get a craving for zucchini!!!!
Speaking of animals... Hubs is NOT a happy man today. Our neighbors just put up a new (small) corral for another horse they just got. It's no more than 70 ft. from our kitchen windows. All five of them. Guess who's been up on a ladder, hanging kitchen curtains today?
DeleteI love horses. Always have. But the aroma of manure and armies of flies are less than desirable, I'll admit.
Oh no. That may get a bit odiferous!!!!! Not good.
DeleteI, too, love zucchini many ways. My children were the only children amongst my friends' children who loved zucchini. I made zucchini casserole. I usually made a 9x9 pan as part of dinner, along with meat and other vegetables. They were so sad when it was gone during the meal. One day, on the way home from school, they asked as they usually did what was for dinner. "zucchini casserole" What else, they asked. "That's all" Their faces fell. At dinner they could not believe it when I pulled out a 9x13 casserole, 9x9 casserole, and a 10x10 casserole, all zucchini casserole. They rejoiced and ate to their hearts' content. The casserole is layered with zucchini, tomatoes, cheese and buttered bread chunks. So, it was nutritious and balanced. We did not have meat, but no one missed it.
ReplyDeleteSounds divine. How cool that they were so happy. Some meals there is just no need for meat.
DeleteI had absolutely no idea that zucchini could be that versatile. The only thing I've ever used it for was zucchini bread. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteYou can mix zucchini with about anything and it is tasty in my opinion. It is probably my 2nd favorite veggie after tomatoes!
DeleteWow! Had no idea you could do so much with zucchini! I quit growing it because they would grow baseball bat size overnight! (Hiding under the leaves!) and only ate it a few different ways! I just might consider growing it again!
ReplyDeleteNana C.
Those buggers grow huge overnight. I swear you could sit and actually watch them grow!!!!! Thos are the ones I grate up or use for relish or pickles.
DeleteI grate those bat size after seeding/peeling them. I freezer 4c. Once thawed and water squeezed out, it works perfectly in any recipe calling for 2c shredded zucchini.
DeleteI have a friend who gives them to her adult kids. The do 1/2 slices and make pizzas and grill them outside. 4 is a great meal!
That is what I do as well with those big ones. Love those pizza bites! SO healthy too!
DeleteI just saw a recipe for Veggie Tacos using zucchini on Simply Recipes. com. I am ready to get goin and try your recipes and these tacos, too!
ReplyDeleteOoohhh what a good idea. May have to try that one too.
DeleteYou have lots of ways to prepare zucchini! Will have to try some of your recipes.
ReplyDeleteGive some a try. They are just so yummy!
DeleteI love your recipes. I have my first bloom on my zucchini so I'll be using some of your recipes. I did the faux pineapple last year and I might to it again. It was pretty good. You now it rained real good tonight all around us but we are still dry so I'll be out watering in the morning. Have a great fourth of July!
ReplyDeleteIt is sure can be a prolific veggie. Hope you get a lot. We got some sprinkles - nothing measurable - but at this point I will take it gladly!
DeleteWe had our first zucchini this week. We sliced it up and sauteed it in butter. So good! I like to add shredded zucchini to my oatmeal in the morning along with honey, cinnamon, and a few raisins. Such a versatile vegetable!
ReplyDeleteI am going to do that today! It always tastes so good just done simple. Never heard of using in oatmeal - how neat!
DeleteI'm going to try the faux pineapple. It'll be nice to can it. Another way to store it for future use.
ReplyDeleteI love zucchini. I can never have too much!
~margaret
I never have too much either. So many ways to use it. I think you will like the faux pineapple. I have made wedges and crushed - both.
Delete