By midsummer it is hard to find ways to keep up with natures abundant production of zucchini. This wonderful and sometimes unappreciated summer vegetable, can be the star side dish of your summer meals. Here are some of our favourite recipes to show zucchini some love. Quick Zucchini Sauté: only three ingredients! 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons sliced almonds 2 zucchini, cut into matchstick sized pieces or coarsely grated Heat the olive oil in skillet until it is shimmering. Stir in sliced almonds and sauté until golden and fragrant. Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Add zucchini and toss with almonds until glistening, about one minute. The idea is not to cook the zucchini, but just allow it to soften a bit. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately. If you eat cheese, a sprinkle of parmesan is very nice on top! This simple dish has always been a hit with our guests! Simple Zucchini Skewers Cut zucchini in ½ inch slices. Cut up red pepper and an onion into one inch squares. Alternate threading the zucchini, onion and peppers on skewers, and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill on the barbeque, cooking the skewers along with whatever else you are grilling, as a tasty side dish. We like to put a good smear of hummus on the serving plate and toss the grilled vegetables on top. Make extra to have some for snacks or lunches: they are great in wraps. Zucchini Frittata Take two medium zucchinis and shred them on a box grater or in a food processor. Put the shreds in a colander, sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, and let sit for 30 minutes. Then squeeze the shreds until they are quite dry. Thinly slice a small onion. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion for five minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté for another 15 minutes, or until there is no more liquid coming out of the vegetables. Crack six eggs and whisk well. Pour over the zucchini and allow to cook gently for five minutes. Pop the whole pan under the broiler for a few more minutes, until cooked through. If you eat dairy, grated cheese is a nice topping. Frittatas can be eaten hot or served at room temperature, so this an ideal make-ahead lunch or brunch dish.
If your garden produces an abundance of zucchini, you can freeze it this way: Cook the zucchini as for the frittata, then freeze it. Now you can use it in meatballs, veggie burgers, pasta sauces, chilis or a winter frittata!
Comments