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.