Did you think I could get through an entire growing season without a new zucchini recipe?
Zukes hold a special place in my heart. First, they are a food of my youth. My grandmother made superb fried squash blossoms, zucchini soup and braised zucchini with onions and tomato.
We never tired of my mother's pasta con cucozza , and her zucchini cheesecake became the inspiration for the first "QED Cooks" marathon on WQED more than nine years ago.
For those who faithfully congregate at the farmers' markets around town, you know that there are several phases to the zucchini season, and it's best to tailor what recipes you prepare to what's available at each stage.
First come the blossoms and the little fingerling squash. The thin little zucchini often are no bigger than a stubby hot dog. But I think they have the most intense flavor. These are best eaten "as is," without peeling or fussing. Just wash and trim off the stem end, then saute whole in a little olive oil and garlic, or baste with seasoned oil and roast a few minutes on the grill or in the oven.
At this stage, zucchini has the least water content and the firmest texture when cooked. If you can gather enough blossoms, try a light tempura batter and deep-fry them.
It's addictive.
Once the zucchini get to about 1 inch in diameter, they are ready for almost any recipe. Sliced or diced and quick-cooked to tender-crisp, they are the underpinning for a summer pasta primavera. At this stage, I still like them on the grill, but I cut them in half lengthwise and brush with seasoned oil before putting them over the heat.
But as the days of locally grown produce dwindle to a precious few in September, the zukes take on the ponderous look of small loaves of Italian bread. The skins are tough, and the centers are filled with seeds and water.
The good news is that the price is right. For zucchini bread, I peel them and cut lengthwise into quarters, then scrape the seeds out and coarsely shred the flesh. These jumbo zucchini also are fine for soups and stews — the additional water content will not hurt the final dish.
But my favorite dish at this time of year is stuffed zucchini. There are hundreds of potential fillings for these jolly green giants of the vegetable world. The following recipe makes a vegetarian main course that goes well with a side of rice, couscous or pasta.
Stuffed Zucchini
- 2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for cooking
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 large zucchini (2 to 3 pounds)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 sweet green pepper, diced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated
In a dry heavy skillet over medium heat, brown the bread crumbs, stirring constantly, until they are a light amber color. Moisten with some olive oil and stir in the capers. Set aside.
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Carefully scrape out the flesh, leaving a shell about 1/4-inch thick.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet and fry the zucchini pulp. When it starts to brown, add the onion, then the garlic, tomato, green pepper and lemon juice. Continue cooking until most of the moisture has evaporated.
Add the oregano, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in the bread crumb mixture and the grated cheese.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Divide the zucchini mixture in half and fill each zucchini shell. Bake on a greased jellyroll pan for about 25 minutes, until the shell is tender but not falling apart.
Makes 4 servings.
