We went to the beach last week. It was great but more on that at a later time.
Anyway, due to some miscommunication, I came home to a fridge full of my CSA produce including plenty of this year’s bumper crop.
Do you know what all locally home-grown farmers (and gardeners) are picking right now?
Yellow squash and shiny green zucchini.
I love it. But I’ve heard some folks don’t. Or maybe they’re just tired of always eating squash covered with cream soup and cheese.
Hopefully, trying one of these new ways to eat your vegetables will turn you on to these humble veggies that can grow as big as a baseball bat if left alone. Those are only good for scooping out the inside and being stuffed with some delicious concoction involving cheese and sausage. This ideas are more on the simple side.
Funny story. Sometimes my kids just eat the zucchini while I’m slicing. Then they say things like, “Mama, that was a funny tasting cucumber.”
Indeed.
1. Shred it and freeze it. Add it to soups, chilis, tacos, spaghetti…all winter long. They’ll never notice.
2. Make Blueberry-Zucchini Muffins. (Recipe for 2-4 below.)
3. Make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread.
4. Make plain zucchini bread. There might be a theme here.
5. Try Squash and Potato Au Gratin. I made this the other night and my picky no-squash eater said, “Hmm…this is actually good!”
6. Make pizza crust. Pinterest has at least a gazillion pins for this.
7. Shred it. Add it to cooked rice with black beans and salsa. Mix well. Stuff tortillas and top with cheese.
8. Roast it with a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. 425 for about 15 minutes.
9. Roast it with a sprinkle of parmesan, some sliced olives, and maybe some thinly sliced purple onion. Same as #8. Add leftovers to pizza.
10. Shred it (if you’re going for disguise) or chunk it (if you’re going for hearty). Add it to the Best Tomato Sauce Ever and top your favorite pasta or that spaghetti squash that came with this week’s CSA delivery.
Zucchini Bread (or Muffins) Adapted from Thy Hand Hath Provided
3 eggs
1/2 c brown or granulated sugar
1 c honey
2 c grated zucchini
3 tsp vanilla
2 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole-wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
In a large bowl, combine all your wet ingredients including zucchini. In another, smaller, bowl combine the dry ingredients. Sift the dry into the wet. (Yes, it’s necessary. Yes, it’s a pain.) Fold in blueberries (2 c) or chocolate chips (2 c) or some of both. Divide into two greased loaf pans (9x5x3) or into 24 muffin cups. I recommend using liners because I hate to wash muffin tins. Sometimes I get a little more than 24. Sometime I get a little less. It’s what happens when you don’t measure precisely. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (bread) or about 35 minutes for muffins. You want a knife inserted in the center to come out clean. I make muffins because I can never get the center of the bread to get done. Also, I think muffins keep better. Or maybe I’m just lazy.
What do you do with all your zucchini and squash?
Lindsey P. Brackett 