Zucchini Boats

'Tis zucchini season. What comes to your mind when you think "zucchini". I know ... there's SO many zucchini jokes! Several dishes I like made with zucchini are what I think of. I've posted a Mexican Zucchini Salad recipe already. In my old blog I posted a Zucchini, Potato, Onion soup - and I'll post it here some day. It's a great food for zucchini use that freezes well and we enjoy it all year round. Guests have liked the soup too. I don't plant TOO many plants, and then try and pick them when small, like 5". They are another veggie I like to grill slices of - good any way, but think of sandwiches. Thin zucchini slices are even good in lasanga, replacing some or all of the pasta. And then there's always a quick saute/stir-fry. Lemon juice, good tasting olive oil, and parmesan are my most favorite veggie flavorings.

I'm currently freezing 1/4-1/2" unblanched slices. Simply put on cookie sheet till frozen and bag up. These are good in stir-fry, or breaded and skillet fried. I've dehydrated slices too. All veggie flavors are accentuated when dried and make very good snacks (maybe I'll pull out my dehydrator this year). One year I tried freezing grated zucchini and didn't really use it much. But Heather often made a bunch of zucchini bread we'd freeze, and I make sourdough zucchini bread too. So that's another food to pull from the freezer. Monte loves to toast zucchini or banana bread. His latest bite he had me taste with my eyes closed was some crushed pineapple on a toasted banana or zucchini bread slice. I could not guess what it was!!! It was very good. These toasted warm slices are good with a thin slice of cheese. Don't forget about zucchini relish or pickle possibilities too.

Another favorite zucchini dish that comes instantly to my mind is what I call ...

ZUCCHINI BOATS
I'll give you the recipe's proportions and then you can adjust for however many you want to make.

3-4  5-6" Zucchini, ends removed, nuke about 7 minutes, turning and rearranging, slice in half and scoop out centers (sometimes if not seedy, I add this into the filling mixture)

Chop and mix-
1 tomato
1/4C almonds
1Tb parsley (double if fresh)
small bit of onion (like 1-2Tb)
(I did chives)
1/2 tsp salt seasoning

You're going to microwave again (or sometimes I'll toast tops in toaster oven) so put zucchini in a glass dish or plate. Brush with some melted butter or olive oil. Spoon filling into zucchini shells.

Mix 1Tb butter or olive oil with
1/4C cracker or bread crumbs
(I like adding in some grated parmesan)
Sprinkle on top and press in a bit
Heat uncovered 2-3 minutes.

There's so many possibilities for fillings! Could add potatoes. I added basil, garlic, and mozzarella for this meal. Corn, chipotle chilies, black beans and cilantro. Curry powder, currants, grd meat, and yogurt. Tomatoes, mango and parsley ...





I had some gals here for a felting class and we had a fresh garden salad and a small bowl of chili I'd made and pulled from the freezer. They really liked the corn chunks in it - not typical corn. I'd gotten the idea from making Pozole: Pork and Hominy. Pozole is a bit bland, so I make it moreso a chili. In Arizona I made it using the fresh made cooked field corn. I think I'll do a post about it.

Well ... enjoy zucchini!