The second recipe is for a raw zucchini salad. It is simplicity incarnate. When made with just picked squash, the tenderness of the vegetable meat creates a subtle flavor that beautifully pairs with the sweetness of vine-ripened cherry tomatoes. And, with only splash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of salt, the freshness of the zucchini is the real star.
The third recipe is my mother’s favorite. Just thinly slice zucchini and lightly sauté it in extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle on some red wine vinegar and salt and then serve room temperature or chilled. It’s a great alternative to a standard dinner salad. When I was a kid, my mom would eat so many freshly fried zucchini pieces fresh out of the pan that our salads were often on the small side, so be sure to cut up enough slices.
Finally, my daughters’ new favorite dinner: zucchini calzones. This is a take on the standard spinach pie. Accompanied with fresh ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan and then stuffed into fresh pizza dough and baked, it’s a little pillow of happiness.
Oh, zucchini. How do I love thee. Let me count the ways…
Stuffed Zucchini Flowers
Serves: 4-6 as an Appetizer or Makes 2-4 Sandwiches
Ingredients:
12 Zucchini Flowers
8 oz. Goat cheese, ricotta cheese, or brie
1 Tbsp Basil chopped (optional)
1 Egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Soak flowers in a bowl of water and thoroughly rinse the inside of each one by gently opening them. When finished, pat flowers dry and lightly salt.
2. Mix cheese with some salt and pepper to taste and add the basil (if using).
3. Fill each flower with enough cheese to cover the inside width, being sure not to overfill, and then twist the petals to close it.
4. Scramble the egg, season it with some salt and pepper, and then dip each stuffed flower in the egg.
5. In a medium to large pan, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom about a 1/4-inch deep.
6. When pan is hot (but not scalding), add the egg-dipped flowers and sauté on each side until golden brown.
7. Drain on paper and serve either as an appetizer or in Italian bread as a sandwich.
Raw Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 smallish or 2 large zucchinis
A half pint of cherry tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil (the good stuff, if you have it)
About a half lemon
Kosher or sea salt
Preparation:
1. Wash zucchini and grate it using the coarse side of your cheese grater.
2. Set zucchini in a bowl and sprinkle on enough olive oil to lightly coat. Squeeze on the lemon juice and season with salt.
3. Divide zucchini onto salad plates, lay the tomatoes on top, and serve.
Fried Zucchini Salad
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients:
4 Medium zucchinis
Extra virgin olive oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt to taste
Preparation:
1. Cut zucchinis into 1/4-inch slices.
2. In a medium to large pan, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom about a 1/4-inch deep.
3. When the oil is medium-high heat (but not scalding), cook the zucchini slices in batches until golden brown on each side.
4. Remove the zucchini from the pan and lay in a platter. Sprinkle on enough red wine vinegar to lightly coat the zucchini.
5. Season with salt and serve either room temperature or chilled.
Zucchini Calzones
Makes: 6 calzones
Ingredients:
4 Medium zucchinis
Extra virgin olive oil
1 lb Fresh pizza dough, rested at room temperature
8 oz Fresh ricotta cheese
4 oz Freshly grated mozzarella
2 oz Freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
I love this time of year. It’s often a bit warmer out, the kids are out of school, and zucchinis are in season. Although you can easily get zucchinis all year long, they just aren’t as fresh when shipped from hundreds of miles away (usually from Mexico) in the winter. As a fan of this versatile squash variety, I have been indulging in its seasonality, purchasing and eating it pretty much every week, all summer long. I prefer to buy zucchini at my local farmer’s market, where there are a range of varieties (light green, dark green, with a ribbed exterior, with yellow stripes, and the list goes on) that are usually just-picked and on the small side. They are also pretty easy to grow at home.
