There’s much more to Zucchini than Just Bread

Zucchini may be at the back of the vegetable alphabet, but it’s at the front of the list of most prolific summer garden vegetables.

Beautiful yellow flowers resembling golden trumpets herald the beginning of the zucchini season. What starts as a contained plant with brightly colored blossoms soon turns into deep green vines loaded with tender zucchini ready to be harvested. And harvested. And harvested. I like to call it the summer vegetable gift that keeps on giving. How many loaves of zucchini bread can one person possibly bake?

Luckily, there are multitudes of ways to enjoy this bountiful vegetable in addition to a freshly baked zucchini bread.

FROM GREEN TO STRIPED

Zucchini is a member of the cucumber and melon family. And although the zucchini is technically a fruit, it is treated as a vegetable. Zucchini is similar to a vegetable that was common in Mexico and South America over 7,000 years ago. The zucchini we know today is derived from a summer squash variety that was developed in Italy. It is believed Italian immigrants brought squash seeds to the United States in the 1920s.

The world of zucchini doesn’t begin and end with the dark green variety we are most accustomed to. There is yellow zucchini, referred to as yellow squash, as well as white zucchini and pale green. In Italy, there is a variety known as Neapolitan squash that has white stripes going down its length. All the colors can be used in recipes calling for zucchini.

PICKING AND STORING ZUCCHINI

The best zucchini are free of bruises, gashes and soft spots. Look for ones that feel heavy and have glossy, unblemished skin. And although those giant zucchini make for some great Instagram photos, they aren’t the best ones to cook with. Zucchini 10 inches or under are sweeter and will have fewer and smaller seeds.

Store unwashed zucchini in a paper or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to five days. Don’t wash the squash until you’re ready to use them. And although zucchini don’t need to be peeled, they do require a nice rinsing. Run cool water over the squash, then gently scrub to get rid of grit. Trim both ends and you’re ready to go.

GRILLED

For a quick side dish, cut zucchini into ½-inch coins and toss in extra-virgin olive oil with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Put the zucchini in a grill basket and place on a hot grill. In less than 5 minutes, your zucchini will be ready for a final toss in some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

For a twist on a summer vegetable salad, try a zucchini ribbon salad. A vegetable peeler is used to make long strips of squash. Brush lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a hot grill rack on the barbeque and cook until lightly charred. For extra color, mix yellow squash with green zucchini. A simple lemon vinaigrette dresses the salad that is crowned with crumbled feta or goat cheese and some toasted pine nuts.

RAW

Raw zucchini noodles, often referred to as “zoodles,” are currently all the rage. Created by using a spiralizer, these healthy alternatives to pasta make eating vegetables fun.

Instead of creating spaghetti-shaped zoodles, try making the zucchini into thin lasagna noodles to create a raw zucchini lasagna. Use a vegetable peeler to make the long thin strips of squash. Make a cheese mixture of goat cheese, fresh basil, fresh oregano and salt and pepper. Pick some of your most colorful teardrop tomatoes from your garden, and slice them in half. Create layers of cheese and tomatoes, and finish with a drizzle of a good quality balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Fresh, colorful and no heat required.

BAKED

Zucchini is a master of disguise. Ordinary zucchini can be transformed into an extraordinary dessert that will fool even the most determined zucchini haters. The addition of grated zucchini in a baked dessert adds moisture and texture, creating super-moist cakes and breads.

More brownie than cake, this extra moist dessert is made with grated zucchini (3 cups worth!) and natural cocoa powder. Serve simply with a dusting of powdered sugar, or go glam and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

TRY SOME BLOSSOMS

The true jewel of the zucchini plant is the golden flower that appears on the growing plants. Avoid picking the female blossoms. The female blossoms are attached to growing zucchini, and if they are removed, the plant won’t fruit.

Pick the opened flowers early in the morning. As the summer heat rises during a hot summer day, the blossoms wilt and get stressed when plucked. Use a paper towel to lightly brush dirt from the blossom. A small, clean artist’s brush also works well to clean the blossoms. I keep an inexpensive eye makeup brush around just for cleaning edible flowers and delicate herbs. Use them as soon as possible, as the blossoms deteriorate quickly. If you do need to hold them, place a slightly damp piece of paper toweling on the bottom of a sealed container or zip-lock bag. Gently place blossoms on top of the toweling and refrigerate.

The blossoms can be eaten raw, but for a real treat, try them stuffed with a mixture of fresh goat cheese mixed with ricotta and fresh basil and finished in a tempura batter. A pastry bag makes piping the cheese mixture into the flowers a snap. Gently bring up the petals to encase the cheese, then dip in a mixture of fl our combined with sparkling water. Fry the stuffed blossoms in vegetable or grape seed oil, and sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs or a dusting of grated Parmesan.

I wait all year for zucchini blossom time just to make this recipe. In fact, I sometimes purchase plants just to pick the flowers. It's the perfect way to enjoy a taste of summer in one, delicious bite.