For those who have seen The Triplets of Belleville (2003), it is quite impossible not to remember how one Belleville sister catches her frogs with a bomb, an umbrella and a basket, and the subsequent dishes that another elaborates, from frog stew, preserved frog eyes to frog-sicle. These scenes come to home growers' minds when they see the generous produce from their zucchini plants.
Here are several simple recipes which give some diversions to the daily zucchini dishes.
Fried Zucchini
An easy way to cook zucchini which is very popular in Spain is to slice them horizontally in 0.5 cm and fry them in abundant extra virgin olive oil until brown on both sides. It brings out the exquisite taste of the zucchini. Before serving, sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt on top.
Stir Fry Zucchini
Zucchini is very good for stir fry. Cut them in julienne or dice and do a simple Chinese stir fry with garlic or onion. Alternatively, stir fry zucchini with meat, or rice, or noodles create more succulent dishes.
Oven Baked Zucchini
This is not only a good way for cooking zucchini, but also for storing it. Larger zucchini can be used for this recipe. Cut the zucchini vertically and put the slices on a baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Bake until soft and put them in a container filled with extra virgin olive oil and salt. It is recommended to add other vegetables, such as onions and peppers, which can be prepared in the same way. Following proper canning procedures for storing.
Alternatively, for a side dish one can cut the zucchini in thick slices horizontally, brush them with oil and bake until brown and soft. Sprinkle salt. This can been done when the oven is turned on for roasting meat, for example.
Cream of Zucchini
Cut the zucchini into dice and boil it with carrots and potatoes cut in the same way. It is recommended to use chicken or vegetable stock. When the vegetables are cooked, use a blender to mash them. Add salt and pepper to taste. This is good for eating cold also.
Fried Zucchini with Egg
A recipe from a Spanish farmer is to slice zucchini in thin rounds, fry them with olive oil as described in the fried zucchini recipe, and when the rounds are brown and soft, break an egg and mix them together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Mashed Zucchini
This simple way of preparing the zucchini is extremely refreshing. Passed on by another Spanish farmer whose wife boils newly picked zucchini sliced in trunks; when the pieces are soft, drain, and use a blender to mash them. Add salt and pepper to taste, or dress it with lemon juice and oil. The taste is exquisite and it is certainly a very easy and healthy way to cook the vegetable.
Stuffed Zucchini
Stuffed zucchini is a very popular dish. Most stuffing goes well with zucchini. Fry one's own favourite meat with the zucchini flesh that is spooned out, and bake the stuffed zucchini in the oven.
The following recipe offers a different alternative, which is used in Hong Kong for local squash, but it is equally good for zucchini.
- Slice the zucchini into thick rounds (3cm/ 1 inch tall), empty the middle.
- Marinate ground beef with soy sauce, sugar, salt and sesame oil. Finely chopped garlic and chili can be added.
- Stuff the zucchini rounds with the ground beef and arrange them in a steamer.
- Steam until the zucchini is soft.
For stuffing giant zucchini and a more elaborate recipe with a sweet stuffing, readers can find it in the link provided.
Zucchini Pizza
Zucchini forms delicious pizza topping. There are two possibilities. One is to cook the zucchini beforehand, the other is to bake it together with the pizza.
Recipe 1
- Prepare the pizza dough.
- Cut zucchini into thin rounds.
- Cut tomatoes into thin slices.
- Put cheese on the dough, then the tomatoes and lastly arrange the zucchini rounds on top. Brush the zucchini with oil.
- Bake at 250C/480F for around 15 minutes or until the zucchini and the edge of the dough are brown.
Recipe 2
- Prepare the pizza dough.
- Cut zucchini into thin rounds.
- Slice onions.
- Fry the onions until soft.
- Add zucchini and fry until soft.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Put this on the dough and bake at 250C/480F for around 15 minutes.
Zucchini with Pasta
The fried zucchini and onion that is described above in zucchini pizza recipe 2 can be used as a pasta sauce. When the pasta is ready, mix it together with the zucchini and onion in the frying pan and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Zucchini, Zucchini and more Zucchini
Zucchini is indeed a versatile vegetable, and it is an easy plant to grow. This handful of suggestions give variety to the inevitable daily dish in the zucchini season, so one can join the Belleville sisters and smack one's lips heartily. Be creative and enjoy this delicious and generous vegetable.
Readers can find another recipe on cooking baby zucchini with blossoms on Suite101.
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