Tomatoes

 Today and this week is about tomatoes, the watery jewels of summer that encourage you to eat salt and oil too. In other words a medicinally perfect food for the season. But first a word about perfect eating altogether.    

The New York Times today carries yet another urgent editorial about how our American processed and pesticide laden food supply is literally killing us. Americans essentially consume nutrient-free sugar, preservatives and poisons.  This is the premier reason to shop at a local farmers' market. Your life literally depends on it. 

The tomato is a good illustration of our industrial horror: flavor and color has been bred out of the tomato to make a hard ball easy to harvest, ship and store. It's coated in pesticides and covered in weed killer. It's gassed to get red. And so it never goes out of season, it's flown and trucked in from nutrient depleted fields in Central and South America that now deprive local farmers of their own food supply. For your health you need to be part of the landscape you inhabit, digesting its minerals and solar energy.

Eat and enjoy tomatoes in our summertime, then let them go and move on to winter squashes and cold weather greens. You don't have to give up entirely. I'm including some recipes that let you naturally preserve them for colder times when you want their vitamins and color. Indulge now.

Roasted cherry tomatoes

A vendor at the farmers' market told me about this last year and I've been crazy doing it ever since.  You just have to slice the tomatoes, coat them in oil with garlic and salt and roast. Not much work for the bang. The best news is you can freeze these in freezer baggies and pull them out in winter to put on a baked potato. pasta or beef, on top of hummus or in a stew or soup.  

This recipe is totally flexible meaning there are no fixed quantities, just a process to follow. You just want enough oil, salt and garlic to lightly coat how many sliced tomatoes you have. I happen to like mine garlicky so I often use more cloves and you can too.

1 box ripe cherry tomatoes (I've been buying cylinder shaped ones called "Juliet.")
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 med/lg garlic clove, minced or through a press
1/2 tsp sea salt (like I said approximate)

 Heat a toaster or regular oven to 350º.
Wash and slice the cherry tomatoes into disks not thicker than !/4". Thinner is fine. Put them in a medium bowl and add just enough olive oil to barely coat them. Sprinkle on the salt and garlic and blend. (I use my hands.)

Line a small baking sheet (I use the one in my toaster oven) with foil or parchment paper (easy cleanup) and put the tomatoes out in a single layer. Roast/bake at 350º about an hour until the tomatoes start to show burnt spots and look a little crisp. Don't worry about how much time it takes to get to the goal of candied tomatoes. You can raise the oven temperature to take less time too.  

 

hummus with toasted tomatoes and parsley

Cool and put on a small plate to serve or pack some in little freezer baggies for winter. They should taste sweet like candy, be a bit chewy and garlicky if you like garlic.  
          




Provencal tomato soup

There is the famed cold tomato soup, gazpacho, from Spain but also this old favorite of mine I include in cookbooks and past posts from a woman in Provence. Nothing could be easier, tastier, healthier and to boot, you can freeze some for later. Again, the quantities are flexible depending on how many tomatoes you use, how much soup you want. Normally this is served warm with garlic croutons or plain, but I've been known to pour it in a mug and drink it at room temperature. It's that versatile. I often wait til the end of the season when tomatoes are so abundant and cheap and buy a pile to make this for the freezer. 

Serves 4-5

2 lbs. fresh large tomatoes, skinned (optional) and chopped

2 lg. onions, peeled and finely chopped

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

1 mildly hot small pepper, whole

2 tbsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. salt

freshly ground black pepper to your taste

2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley for garnish (5-6 sprigs)

Optional garnish: buttered garlic croutons

In a medium sized heavy gauge casserole, heat the butter and olive oil together until the butter melts. Stir in thyme and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add onions, bay leaf and a pinch of ground black pepper. Stir to blend and sauté over medium low heat until the onions are soft and glistening, 8-10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and mix well. Drop in the whole pepper. If the tomatoes aren’t juicy, add ½ cup water to avoid burning. Cover and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, until the tomatoes become soupy. (If the soup is too thick and pasty, add either another ¼ cup of water or dry sherry if you’d like.)

Remove the bay leaf and whole pepper. Stir in the parsley. Remove from heat. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste and serve with or without garlic croutons.

Greek tomato rice

The Spanish version is "arroz con tomate" so this is a popular summer Mediterranean dish: rice with tomatoes. It complements grilled meats. If you make too much, which you might want to do, you can use the remainder to stuff grape or cabbage leaves for a vegetarian lunch. You basically turn the tomatoes into sauce and cook the rice in it.
 

4 large Roma or San Marzano tomatoes

1 box chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp red wine

1/2 white onion

1 leek, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c good quality olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 c short grain rice

2 c water or vegetable broth for more flavor

2 tbsp fresh dill, minced

4 sprigs fresh mint, chopped

1/4 c flat leaf parsley, chopped

Salt & pepper for taste

not my photo

In a medium/lg lidded saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent, 5-6 minutes.

In a blender, puree the Roma tomatoes, boxed tomatoes, garlic, wine and oregano until smooth. Add this to the onion mixture and cook over medium heat until sauce has thickened slightly.

Add the rice, and 2 cups liquid. Stir just until all ingredients are well combined.

Reduce heat to low, and cover the pot. Cook about 18 minutes, or until rice is thoroughly cooked. Add basil, mint and dill, and cover the pot letting it sit 5 minutes to let the spices absorb into the mixture. Season, and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes~

You can add more water to your rice mixture, if needed.

Serve with fresh crumbled feta.

Pairs perfect with chicken kabobs, and grilled vegetable

Pasta "fresca"

Fresca means fresh or not exactly cooked and this dish showcases tomatoes tossed into a pot with the pasta and cooked only as long as it is for a refreshingly light summer dish. There is a more "fresca" alternative: marinate sliced cherry tomatoes in olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a minced clove of garlic, salt and fresh pepper for an hour or two, then throw them in the pot with the just cooked and drained pasta adding back a tbsp of the pasta water to blend everything. You can grind up pine nuts with lemon zest and oil to thicken the final product. This recipe has a fresh from the garden look and taste.

serves 2
olive oil to coat the pan thickly
10 0z mini san marzano or roma or juliet tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced or through the press
1 tbsp capers
1 tbsp black pitted olives, chopped
4 scallions, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt to your taste
4 oz pasta (linguini is what I used)
1 1/4 c water 
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, chopped plus a few for garnish
to serve: grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

Thickly cover the bottom of a flat bottom pan with olive oil.
Cut the tomatoes in half and quarter the larger ones. 
Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, put in the tomatoes, garlic, capers, olives and scallions. Put in a generous grind of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook two minutes over medium heat. Add 1 tsp salt. Lay the linguini in the pot. Pour in the water. Add the basil leaves. Raise heat to med/high  to get the water boiling to cook the pasta. 

Cook until the pasta is just past al dente. If it needs more liquid alternate olive oil and water. Remove from heat. Divide onto two serving plates. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves and grated cheese and another grind of black pepper.


Tomato Pie
 There is a tomato tarte tatin and other pies but this one is easier

Serves 8

Oil or butter, for greasing

1 packet chilled short crust pastry (or make your own)

Flour, for dusting

4 tbsp wholegrain mustard

8 large tomatoes (about 2 lbs), thinly sliced

2 tbsp grated gruyere cheese

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350º placing an oven rack in the lower part of it. Grease a 9” detachable bottom tart pan. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface until it is large enough to line your tart pan. Spread the mustard on the bottom of the pastry case. Place some sliced tomatoes around the edge of the case, making sure they overlap, then fill in the middle. Sprinkle the cheese over the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with the oil.

Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake on a low oven rack 40 minutes. Take the tart out of the oven and carefully slip off the outer ring, leaving the tart sitting on the base. Return to the oven on the baking sheet for another 5–10 minutes so the sides get really crisp.

Fresh tomatoes with scrambled eggs

This is a summery quick version of the beloved Turkish breakfast dish known as "menemen."
 serves 4

1 1/4 lbs ripe fresh tomatoes 2 green bellpeppers 4 extra large eggs 1/4 c water or milk 5 - 6 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. chopped basil salt  black pepper

Peel and chop the tomatoes. Put them in a large frying pan with 2 tbsp  olive oil and over med/low heat cook 5 minutes. Beat the eggs with the  water/milk and set aside. Chop the pepper. When half of the liquid  evaporates from the tomatoes add chopped pepper, salt and black  pepper. Stir and let them cook gently 5 minutes. When all of the liquid  evaporates, pour the remaining olive oil and  beaten eggs evenly over  the tomatoes while stirring gently. Cook slowly for a few minutes until  the eggs are cooked but not too solid.

Tomato Jam

This is another way to save tomatoes for the winter. Tomato jam is yummy on toast with cheese or butter, on crackers with goat cheese, as the T in a BLT and you'll find lots more uses.

Makes five 4 oz. jars. 

2 lbs ripe tomatoes
1 cinnamon stick (a fat one)
1/2 c cider vinegar (use good quality)
1 3/4 c turbinado, raw or granulated sugar
pinch of red pepper flakes

The slightly annoying part of this process is getting the skins off the tomatoes. To slip them easily, cut a cross in the bottom or each tomato, then submerge them in boiling water 1 minute. Remove and plunge into ice water or ice cubes or a combination. The skins should now slide right off. 
   Once that's done, remove lids from canning jars and submerge the jars in boiling water. Reduce heat to simmer while you make jam.

Quarter the tomatoes and combine with cinnamon stick in a deep pot. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes until the tomatoes start to dissolve. Slowly add the sugar, vinegar and pinch of pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. and continue to boil and stir until the mixture thickens--15-20 minutes. You will know it's good to jar when the spoon goes through the bottom and exposes the pot. Ladle into hot sterilized jars, seal and submerge the jars in boiling water 12 minutes. (Raise the heat to med/high from simmer once you put the jars in.)

More on Zucchini because there's always more zucchini

Zucchini, which is plural in Italian without a singular, is everywhere at markets now. And it's relatively cheap. So here are a few more ways to enjoy its watery benefits right now while the heat's on.                   

Roasted Zucchini Mint Frittata

This is relatively easy in several simple steps and relatively fast too: if you overlap the steps you can have it on the table in about 20 minutes. It's very filling, refreshing and pretty. Just add tomato cucumber salad or go Greek throwing into it black olives and scallions.

serves 4
2 med/sm zucchini, sliced into disks 1/4" or a bit more thick
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
3 tbsp butter (depending on width of your frying pan)
1 sm purple onion, minced
5 extra lg eggs
1/4 c milk (skim is fine and so is water)
1/4 c mint leaves, finely chopped (not peppermint or spearmint)
2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
1/2 c grated cheese (I mixed Parmesan and cheddar, you can use mozzarella or smoked mozzarella or havarti with asiago)
1/4 tsp ground aleppo pepper or paprika to sprinkle on top

Heat the oven to 450º. 

In a large bowl, combine the sliced zucchini, fennel seed, oregano, salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat the squash. Spread the squash in a single layer on a baking tray (line it with parchment paper or tin foil for easy cleanup) and roast 15-20 minutes until zucchini is soft and browning. Remove from oven to cool.

While the zucchini roasts, you can chop the onion and herbs.
Melt the butter in a medium size frying pan that can go into the oven. Add the minced onion and sauté 3-5 minutes until it's soft. 

While the onion cooks, mix the eggs, milk and herbs in a medium/lg bowl. When the onion is soft pour this egg mixture into the pan and spread it to the edges. Cook for a minute or more until the bottom begins to congeal. Now quickly arrange the zucchini all over the pan.

Cook another 3-4 minutes until the eggs are starting to set. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Sprinkle on the pepper or paprika and put the pan in the hot oven. Cook 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the eggs are not jiggly. A cake tester can help determine that. Remove immediately.

To serve: run a metal spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the frittata and with a large flat spatula lift it out onto a serving plate. Garnish with mint leaves. OR, cut it in the pan into four equal pieces and lift them out with a spatula to the dinner plate.

Roasted Zucchini Agrodulce (sweet and sour)
This can be a side dish for grilled chicken or beef or a light luncheon with a green salad and good bread.
serves 4

2 tbsp capers
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 1/4 lbs small zucchini, cut into 1/2" disks
1 head garlic, broken into cloves and peeled
1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, zest only
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 c crumbly white cheese 

Heat oven to 425º.
In a large bowl, mix capers, vinegar, olive oil, honey and cinnamon. Add the small zucchini and coat them well. Tip the bowl contents onto a large baking tray (lined with parchment paper or tin foil makes easy cleanup) and scatter the garlic and halved tomatoes around. Season everything with salt and pepper. Roast 30-35 minutes until the squash are cooked through and browning at the edges. 

Remove from oven, put on a large serving platter and scatter the lemon zest over everything, then the parsley and chili flakes. Top with crumbled cheese.

Zucchini with Pasta and Mint

not my photo

This Sicilian treat is a flexible recipe and a fast one. You can vary the amounts and vary the pasta if you don't want linguini. Try bucatini or spaghetti or a mid length pasta.
serves 4

2 med/lg zucchini, sliced into 1/2" disks.
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
3/4 c good quality olive oil
1 lb pasta (linguini, spaghetti, bucatini)
4 oz pecorino, parmesan or asiago cheese, grated  (hard and salty cheese)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c mint leaves, chopped (not spearmint or peppermint)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When it's boiling, add lots of salt and the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente. (See package for timing.)
While it boils, in a med/lg sauté pan, heat the olive oil on medium/low heat. Fry the garlic on low just until it's fragrant, then immediately with a slotted spoon remove it. Working in batches, fry the zucchini disks in the olive oil, on both sides until they are starting to look golden brown. With a slotted spoon remove to drain on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Once the pasta is al dente, using tongs lift it into the frying pan and toss it in the warm, leftover olive oil. Tip the pan contents into a large serving bowl. Add 2 tbsp hot pasta cooking water, half the cheese, a generous grind of black pepper and most of the chopped mint. Toss to blend. Arrange the zucchini all over the top and sprinkle on the remaining cheese, then the remaining mint. Serve immediately.

Time out

https://rubinmuseum.org/events/event/visionary-circle-momo-making-workshop-08-23-2019

Zucchini, since you can't avoid it now

The height of summer is the height of zucchini season and the cylinders are getting longer by the hour. They're piled high. Their abundance is so intimidating people are fraught to pass them on. They're cheap at farmers' markets. Which is good news because being mostly water, they're perfect for this sweaty season. Plus they're quick cooking, light on the digestion, and versatile. You can roast, bake, fry, braise, and even eat them raw as a salad.  

Zucchini don't pack flavor punch so they're amenable to herbs and spices. The most common combo is zucchini with basil. Cilantro brings a peppery flavor. Oregano lights it up too. Roasted peppers bring texture variation along with sharp taste that perks up the squash. It's best friends with eggplant and loves tomatoes. The three together are perfect for pasta hot or cold. You've got endless options.

Some of these recipes have been posted before because they're keepers for a summer repertoire. Kolokithokeftedes was posted with the fritter collection but the recipe so useful for potlucks, picnics and large parties, I'm repeating it here.What's not here is Provencal ratatouille and the wildly popular zucchini pie.  You can find them in summer posts past. My zucchini pie is also in Summer 2019 ZEST magazine.

I have a few more recipes to test when the company leaves and post later.

Zucchini, Fennel Salad

not my photo

This is raw zucchini, quickly combined with dill and other vegetables into a bright summer salad. It fits into the water and salt summer vitals categories.
serves 4

2 med/lg zucchini, peeled into ribbons (you can do this lengthwise with a carrot peeler or a mandolin. sometimes you can buy them). 
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed to just the bulbs and cut/peeled into ribbons
1/2 bunch dill, finely chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 lemons, juice only
1/4 c plus 1 tbsp good quality olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
2 tbsp capers, drained
1 c fresh peas (out of the pod)
handful fresh pea shoots

Put the zucchini and fennel in a large bowl filled with ice water.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the dill, mustard and lemon juice. Whisk in 1/4 c olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Put a small frying pan on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and fry the capers until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Drain the zucchini and fennel and put in a large serving bowl. Add the peas and pea shoots and toss to blend. Toss in the dressing (dill, olive oil etc). Top with the crispy capers and serve right away.
 

Zucchini Boats
There are infinite stuffings for a zucchini boat which you make by using a small spoon to scoop out the flesh and seeds in the center to make room for stuffing. The vegetarian version would combine ricotta cheese, roasted red pepper chopped, minced purple onion, oregano, fresh corn kernels and chopped cilantro. It can be served with or without a tomato sauce. A meatier version without sauce would combine breadcrumbs, minced onion, flat leaf parsley, grated Jack or Havarti cheese, sausage meat, fresh tarragon and an egg to hold it all together.  
This ground meat version can be served warm with a minted tomato sauce or room temperature just as it is.

4-6 servings 

6 medium zucchini (err on the smaller side)
1 lb ground beef and/or lamb (you can mix)
1 lg red onion, minced
1 lg tomato, grated or 1/4 c minced tomatoes (no juice please)
2 tbsp dried Greek mint (not spearmint or peppermint)
1 tsp dried oregano 
pinch Aleppo or other mild chili pepper
1/2 c breadcrumbs
1 extra large egg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
2 tbsp olive oil

 Preheat oven to 350º.
Split the zucchini in half and scoop out as much flesh as you can without letting the skin cave in or creating any holes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flesh, ground meat, onion, tomato, mint, oregano, mild chili and breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Break in the egg and blend it in to hold the mixture together.

Coat the zucchini shells with olive oil and stuff with the meat filling. You can mound it lightly. Sprinkle olive oil over the top. 

Oil a baking pan and arrange the zucchini boats in a single layer. Cover the pan with foil and bake 30 minutes until the meat filling is brown and the zucchini shells soft. 

Serve with tomato sauce or plain. 


Zucchini fritters, Kolokithokeftedes 

These are special because you can bake them instead of frying them and heating up the kitchen making a mess. Baking them lets you make a large amount too, which is useful because these are great served hot or at room temperature meaning perfect to pack for a picnic, potluck or boat ride. Don't be afraid of the oil; your body needs lubrication when it sweats. In the photo here I served them with tsatsiki/raita. 
This recipe makes about 30 sm/med fritters.

2½ lbs zucchini, grated

1 red onion, grated

2 spring onions, finely chopped

2-3 tbsps fresh mint, finely chopped

2 eggs

1½ cup feta cheese, grated

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups fine breadcrumbs

2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsps parsley, finely chopped

oil for frying

Use a grater to grate the zucchini and place them in a colander with some salt. Squeeze them with your hands to get rid of the excessive water. Leave them for 30 minutes and squeeze them again.

Into a large bowl add the other ingredients and mix well with your hands, until combined and the mixture is firm enough to make balls or patties. Add breadcrumbs as needed.
To fry: In a pan, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, and heat the oil into medium-high heat.

Dip a tablespoon in some water and spoon out some of the mixture into the hot oil. Repeat this procedure until the surface off the pan is comfortably filled. You should dip the spoon in the water every time, so that the dough doesn’t stick on it.

Fry the kolokithokeftedes for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely colored. Place them on paper towel, to absorb the extra oil.

A healthier alternative is to bake patties. Preheat the oven to 425º, oil the bottom of a baking tray and form patties with your hands. Place on the baking tray and brush the top with some olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake another 10-15 minutes until all patties are nicely brown. Serve hot or room temp with fresh cold yogurt or tsatsiki.

 

Zucchini flan

This elegant custard served at room temperature is perfect for a hot summer night with whatever's on the grill. It's also a light lunch with a tomato salad and crusty bread.
serves 6
 

1 ½ lbs zucchini, thinly sliced in disks

 Salt and pepper to your taste

1/2 tsp salt

4 extra large eggs

2 ½ cups milk or half-and-half

 Pinch of grated nutmeg

1 tsp chopped thyme

 A few torn basil leaves

2 tbsp butter for greasing baking dish

4 oz grated cheese, such as Gruyère or Cheddar

Heat your oven to 375º. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the zucchini and blanch 1 minute. Drain and spread zucchini out on a towel. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Beat eggs and milk with 1/2 tsp salt, then add nutmeg, thyme and basil leaves.

Butter a 2-quart low-sided baking dish, and arrange the zucchini over the bottom. Scatter the cheese over it, then pour in the custard.

Bake 30 minutes or until custard is still a bit jiggly, but an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Zucchini Mousse
This is an old recipe from the 80s that's still useful because it's easy and elegant.
serves 4-6

6 medium zucchini, halved horizontally
3 tbsp unsalted butter
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 c minced flat leaf parsley
1/4 c finely chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to your taste (go for it here)
2/3 c sour cream
4 tbsp bread crumbs (can be herbed)
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

 Heat your oven to 375º. Lightly butter a 1 1/2 qt casserole.
In a steamer, steam the zucchini 20 min until soft. Drain well and when cool, grate or shred. Rub with towels to remove excess water. 

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet. Over med/low heat, sauté scallions until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Stir in zucchini, parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Then the sour cream. Cook on low heat 4-5 minutes. Pour the pot contents into the buttered casserole. Top with breadcrumbs, then grated cheese and 2 tbsp butter broken into bits.(At this point you can wrap and freeze for winter.)

Put in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Put under the broiler 3 minutes to brown the top. Serve immediately.
(If you freeze it, bake unthawed at 375º 75 minutes.) 

not my photo alas

Zucchini with saffron
No time? This preparation is fast, colorful and very elegant. Goes with whatever's on the grill. 
serves 4

4 med zucchini
50 g unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch of saffron threads
2 tbsp water
handful fresh basil leaves 
1/2 lemon, juice only

Cut the zucchini lengthwise into very thin strips. You can use a carrot peeler or mandolin. In a large, heavy gauge frying pan, heat the butter and oil until the butter begins to foam. Arrange the zucchini strips around the bottom and over medium heat, cook until they start to brown, 3-4 minutes. Turn them over, season with salt and pepper and cook another minute. Add the saffron threads and water. Cook 3-4 more minutes until the butter has taken on the saffron color. Tear in the basil leaves, pour on the lemon juice, remove from stove and serve immediately. 

Zucchini Sauce for pasta
This is the ultimate way to use up those baseball bat sized zucchini.
 1/2 c olive oil
3 lg garlic cloves
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp dried oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
1 lg onion, finely chopped
3 med or 1 super large zucchini, sliced into thin disks
1/2 c fresh basil leaves
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
Lots of fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese 

In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic, dried basil, fresh parsley and red pepper flakes. Stir. Add the onion, zucchini, fresh basil, lemon zest and salt. Cook over low heat 30-35 minutes until zucchini is thoroughly soft. Cool. 

Pour pot contents into a food processor or use an immersion blender in the pot. Before processing, add the black pepper, nutmeg and grated cheese. Puree into pasta sauce. 

This sauce will be whitish so it looks lovely served over a spinach or tomato pasta.