Here a zuke, there a zuke….
Today is National Zuchinni Day and our lovely hot summer is resulting in huge amounts of squash and zuchinnis pouring out of the garden. What to do? Get creative with these delicious recipes shared by P-Patchers.
From Karyn Brownson here’s a recipe adapted from allrecipes.com by members of the Eat, Drink, and Be Merry Cooking Club in Syracuse, NY.
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper bake cups or lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
1. Stir together in large bowl:
- 2 c. shredded zucchini
- 3 eggs
- 2 c. sugar
- 3/4 c. cooking oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla
2. Mix together in small bowl and add to mixture. Stir until combined.
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 c. chocolate chips, milk or semi-sweet – optional
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups until about half full.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 5 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely
Here’s one Diane Brooks learned several years ago from reading My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy’s Undiscovered South by Rosetta Costantino. Here’s what she does:
Dried Zucchini Slices
- Wash and dry a very large zucchini (zeppelin size is OK as long as the seeds are immature)
- Slice it into 1/4″ rounds
- Dry in a dehydrator on low heat setting (90 -100 F).
- Store in mason jar.
To use: drop the dried slices into a pot of soup and simmer till rehydrated. Most folks think they are mushrooms. They add a nice texture – a bit chewy.
Marc DeMartini made up this delicious recipe and ate it for lunch.
Lunch Zucchini
Ingredients:
- One small shallot
- Olive oil
- Large clove garlic
- Thinly sliced strands of zuchinni, (Trombocino variety is his preferred one to use)
- 1 T Pesto
- Chopped roasted chiles to taste
- 2 T Ricotta cheese
- Parmagiano to taste
Saute the shallot then add the garlic and zuchinni. When it’s soft add the pesto, chiles and ricotta. Cook a bit longer adding water if needed. Serve over pasta with some parmigiano for a finish.
He has the Trombocino climbing a trellis at the back of the patch and is hoping to have it share the trellis with his late crop of string beans.
What are your favorite recipes?
I'd love to hear from you!