Zucchini is the perennial bully of our raised garden bed, sending out tendrils that choke out the more delicate cucumbers, tomatoes, and eggplant around it. But we plant it every year because even in bad years we get a glut of vegetables with very little maintenance.
For the first week or two of August, fresh zucchini are delightful. Then they get overwhelming. We’re pulling two or more off the plants every day and we can’t keep up. Suddenly they’re choking out our kitchen, but if we leave them on the plant too long we suffer more with giant squashes taking up half our counter.
Like rhubarb, most zucchini recipes are for sweet treats that call for a lot of sugar. I like zucchini bread once in a while (especially when made with whole wheat flour and honey, like this one). But zucchini is a vegetable for crying out loud; I’d rather treat it like one!
It may be September, but technically it’s still summer. My garden (and the farmer’s market) is still brimming with seasonal produce like fresh herbs and tomatoes. Let’s use them instead of hiding this mild and underestimated vegetable under a guise white flour and sugar.
While zucchini can get humungous, I recommend using the small ‘zukes for dishes where they will remain intact, and saving the larger veggies for grating into baked goods.
Top 10 Real Food Zucchini Recipes for Fall
These recipes have no added sugar or white flour.
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Open-faced Fresh Zucchini and Tomato Sandwich
Sauté a chopped onion and two cloves of minced garlic in olive oil. Chop 1 small zucchini and add to the pan. Add a few chopped Roma tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes break down and become saucy. Add a few leaves of fresh basil and oregano. Serve on toasted whole-grain bread with shredded parmesan or mozzarella on top.
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Stuffed Zucchini
Whip up your favourite grainy summer salad (quinoa, couscous, etc.) and stuff into a steamed zucchini. Top with cheese (of course!) and/or homemade breadcrumbs. Or, if you’re feeling lazy, sauté some black beans with onion and garlic, add fresh tomato (or salsa), cilantro and cheese.
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Zucchini Fritters
I recommend this recipe for zucchini fritters with feta and dill – just substitute whole wheat flour for the white flour. Serve with homemade Caesar salad.
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Zucchini Omelet
Add some zucchini (sliced small or grated) into your morning omelet or scrambled eggs. If you’re a fancy, quiche-cooking type person, (and I’m not), by all means, throw it into a quiche.
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Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
Just add sautéed zucchini to your favourite pasta sauce, use it in the vegetable layer of lasagna, or stir it into your favourite baked ziti dish.
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Moussaka (Vegetarian or Meat)
When I make moussaka (which is usually once a year because it’s labour intensive), this is the only recipe I use.
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Seasonally Spiced Zucchini Soup
This idea is easy and so versatile. Simply sauté some onions and garlic in a soup pot (don’t all great recipes start this way?). Add sliced zucchini, celery, and carrots and sauté until vegetables are soft. Add vegetable broth and fresh herbs (try dill or thyme) and cook until flavours meld. Blend using an immersion blender and serve (voila!). If that’s too much work, throw some zucchini into your usual minestrone or lentil soup recipe.
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Chili with Zucchini
Slice a zucchini in half lengthwise and then in half again. Dice into “quarter-moons” and add to your favourite chili recipe.
I made this today for a potluck and it was devoured. I didn’t even get to take a picture first.
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Classic Ratatouille
The classic late-summer dish. Eggplant, zucchini, peppers and fresh spices simmered to perfection. Add diced Italian (Roma) tomatoes to sautéed eggplant, zucchini, onions, garlic, and fresh basil. And don’t be stingy with the olive oil.
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