zucchini!

[PartyOf5]

This year was my first attempt at a veggie garden. Overall, things are going much better than expected! The only minor problem I had is when DH picked a beautiful green pepper - before he realized I was growing red peppers!

Anyway, let's talk about zucchini...I feel like I have zucchini growing out of my ears! LOL Anyone have any great ideas for it? Any awesome recipes? Can I freeze and use later? If so, is there a special technique?

I also grew pumpkins. I planted what I thought were 3 and it looks like I have 7 so far! I'm excited I won't have to buy pumpkins this fall.

Thank you!

 

[TinkerBess_SnowTori]

OH beloved Zucchini - my mom used to have so much of it growing in the garden that we would joke that the neighbors could drive by our house with their car windows down for fear mom would throw some in at them.

We would give it away to anyone who showed the least bit of interest.

She makes this dish - no recipe - where she sautes them with some tomatoes, green peppers, and sometimes baby squash in a pan - and just before it is all softened she adds a little bit of cheese. - It is very good.

OH - and her Zucchini cake - and breads are so good - I will have to call for the recipe. I know she freezes the breads

 

[disneynutcase]

I shred mine in my food processor and put about 2 cups into ziplock baggies and feeze that way I can make zucchini bread and chocolate zucchini cake during the winter.

Jean

 

[TinkerBess_SnowTori]

The Bread -

3 Eggs Beaten
1 Cup of Oil
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Cups grated zucchini
1 tsp Vanilla
3 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon

Bake at 325 for 1 hour - makes two loaves (mom has been known to add chocolate chips, nuts, orange peel - lots of stuff - and I know at one time she was taking out some of the oil and putting in apple sauce)

This recipe I had at home - but not the cake one

 

[nyyankeegirl]

I like to slice up some zucchini & squash, put them in some foil, drizzle with olive oil, add some fresh garlic & other seasonings to taste. Then you might want to double up on the foil, so the olive oil won't leak out. Grill outside for about 10-15 min. serve w/ some grilled marinated chicken. Yummy!!

 

[luvsgrumpy]

I have the same problem with Zucchini... my bread recipie is almost identical.

2 C sugar
2 C grated zucchini
3 eggs
1 C applesauce (completely replaces the oil)
3 C flour
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 C raisins or nuts (never use them myself, kids don't like them but love the bread otherwise)

Bake 350 degrees for 50 min. to 1 hour.

I freeze lots of zucchini bread. Mom freezes the grated zuchinni, drains the liquid when she thaws it out but no problem as far as she's seen.

 

[Jessmela]

Lately I've been making a casserole with it. Dice onion, potato, and zucchini into small cubes (I usually use one onion, two or three small potatoes, and one or two good size zucchini). Toss with 2 tbs of vegetable oil in a casserole pan. Then season to your taste-- I use a good sprinkle of adobo seasoning, salt, and pepper. But it would be good with just about any spices.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until the potatoes and zucchini are tender. In the mean time whisk eggs together like you would for scrambled eggs (I use 12 medium so I guess about 8 large). Also cut some mozzerella or other cheese into small chunks (the cheese optional, it's fine without it).

Once the potatoes and zucchini are ready take the pan out of oven, put the cheese scattered around the top, and then pour the eggs over the top. Put it back in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the eggs are set.

 

[kldmom2000]

Italian Stuffed Zucchini is a favorite here....

4 zucchini
1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced celery
some garlic (as much as you'd like... I usually buy the diced garlic in olive oil and use about 1 tsp)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 jar fire roasted tomato sauce
1 egg white
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
olive oil

Half the zucchini lengthwise so you have 8 1/2s.... scoop out the middle and reserve in a bowl.... steam the zucchini shells either in a pan or microwave until tender

In the meantime, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add onioins, garlic, celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes before adding meat. Cook meat until browned. Remove from heat and reserve in a bowl and keep warm. In same pan meat mixture was cooked in, toss in the diced up zucchini pulp and the can of drained tomatoes... cook about 15 min. w/ cover on until zucchini is tender. Remove from heat when done. Add meat mixture to the zucchini/tomato mixture and stir in egg white and breadcrumbs until well blended. Stuff each steamed zucchini shell w/ the mixture. Top with the tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake 20-25 min. @ 350 until cheese is all melted...

You can also add in oregano/basil/etc to your liking before you bake

It's not the quickest dish to make but it's oh so good!

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I have had so much zucchini that every year I tell myself not to grow it but I always do. I make most all of the recipies that are listed above. I usually just pick it and saute it and use it that night. But since I have so much I end up freezing it. I slice it and add butter all cold and raw and put it in freezer bags so I can use it during the winter. I also bread it and make deep fried zucchinini. I have also breaded it and froze it raw so I can have fried zucchini in the winter.

 

[PghLybrt]

Our favorite is putting it in omelets.

 

[rhiansmom]

We love grilled zucchini... just brush a bit of olive oil on it and watch it good cuz it burns easily.

 

[Banana magic]

I usually have a pretty good zucchini crop, but this year we had so much rain that my one zucchini plant (and my yellow squash) rotted away. I have a ton of tomatoes tho, and one pumpkin (was hoping for 2).

Everyone's recipes sound great, now maybe I'll have to buy some zucchini!

 

[monymony3471]

Love Zucchini here.

Zucchini Pie-makes like and tastes like a pizza

2 cups chopped zucchini
1/2 cup green pepper chopped
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 cup parmesean cheese
1/2 cup bisquick
1/2 cup oil
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 cup mozerella cheese (add half to mix and save half for sprinkling on top of mixture)
2 eggs well beaten
salt pepper italian seasoning to taste and/or some basil

mix all ingredients together and put in a 9" pie plate. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

I like to top with spaghetti sauce or some kind of your favorite tomato sauce
You can add mushroom, top with tomatoe slices, there are so many things you can do to this recipe.

More ideas:

Use for shish kabobs
chop up and add to your tomato sauces
use in kieshes
You can deep fry them with a light batter in long strips

 

[pperfectmom]

Here's my favorite way of dealing with surplus. I don't even really have a recipe. Slice one bigger onion and seperate the rings and lay in the bottom of an ungreased 9 X 13 casserole dish. Then sprinkle on a couple cloves of sliced garlic. Then slice your zucchini in rounds and layer over that. Slice a couple yummy ripe tomatoes and then layer those. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil across, sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little oregano(also good with some fresh basil). Then chop up some raw bacon(I usually use about 1/4 pound) and sprinkle it across the top. Add some grated parmesan cheese and then bake about 375 degrees for an hour or until browned on top. This is also quite tasty as a vegetarian dish without the bacon. This is one of my stand-bys in the summer, but I also do the one with the bisquick and make a lot of bread. I also do the shred and freeze in 2 cup amounts but you definatey need to drain before using.

 

[MandM-Mom]

We love Zucchini!

My family likes it like this:

A few cloves of garlic sauteed with butter and evoo
1 sweet onion sliced and sauteed till carmelized then add
2 small Zucchinies 2 small yellow squash sliced thin sauteed with onions and garlic till tender!

Also slice the Zucchini about 1/2 inch thick dip into egg, then into seasoned bread crumbs pan fry.......yummy! Dip into marinara or ranch dressing

 

[DisneyPolve]

We always have way to much zucchini and summer squash (but I won't complain cause I love them both).....we slice both of them up thin and add green peppers, and sometimes eggplant....basically anything our garden is producing and combine them in a large mixing bowl, drizzle oil oil and salt and pepper and put them in freezer zip lock bags. Then when I need some mixed vegetables for spaghetti, or just as a side we have plenty leftover in the freezer.

 

[merekc]

Love zucchini. My two quick dinner sides.

Slice and marinade in zesty italian salad dressing for a few minutes. Grill on low - medium, few minutes a side until becoming tender and has grill marks. Sprinkle immediately with parmesean cheese.

Or slice and pan saute iwith a little butter and your choice of seasonings (I use Garlic pepper and garlic powder). You can also add a little water which makes it easier to avoid burning. Cook until tender.

Fried Zucchini is also tasty, just a lot of work and mess.

 

[pezheadmeg]

Quiche, Quiche and some more Quiche. Beauty is that it can be frozen and heated up come winter. Also, Zuchinni, Onion, Oregano, and shredded mozerella. Toss into in pan and either broil in oven or cook right on grill.


My mom has a recipe for Zuchinni corn muffins some where. Personally I'm not a fan of them, but everyone else raves about them. She just makes the corn muffins from the mix then adds frozen corn and shredded zuchinni.

 

[PartyOf5]

Great replies - thanks! I will certainly try some of these recipes.

Here is one I've done in the past. I cut up yellow squash and zucchini, steam in butter, top with bread crumbs. It's very good - can't wait to try some of the other recipes!

 

[Maybelle]

I shred mine in my food processor and put about 2 cups into ziplock baggies and feeze that way I can make zucchini bread and chocolate zucchini cake during the winter.

Jean

I often do this when I get big zucchini from my s-i-l.

Here is my favorite zucchinin recipe. I'm making it this week as a matter of fact:

Zucchini casserole:

1.5 lb. hamburg.
1 lg. onion
1 cup cottage cheese
1.5 cups cooked rice
1 small can tomato sauce
1.5 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1-2 zucchini (sliced relatively thin)
2 cups moz. cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Brown hamburg. with chopped onion. Drain fat. Add basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add cottage cheese, tomato sauce and rice and stir meat mixture together.

In sprayed 13x9 baking dish put 1/2 of hamburg. mixture then cover with a layer of sliced zucchini and a layer of cheese. Continue with one more layer. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min.

YUMMY!!! My whole family loves this!

I'm thinking this would freeze well after cooking if you make two, but I've never done it.