As promised, I'll share the recipes I've been whipping up in an attempt to use the abundance of zucchini from our garden this year. Here they are!
(FYI: Gabe and I think everything has been great, but our little eater has not always agreed.)
*Zucchini Fritters
I loved that I could use zucchini and some of the chives from our garden!
*Zucchini Tart
(from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking)
I don't have a tart pan so I used a spring form pan. I might just have to buy a tart pan so I can make this again! (or just use a pie pan because the tart was hard to get over the lip on the spring form pan)
First, Tart Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons ice water
Process the flour, sugar and salt together in a food processor until combined. Drizzle the oil over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles course sand, about 12 pulses. Add 2 tablespoons of the ice water and continue to process until large clumps of dough form and no powdery bits remain, about 5 seconds. If the dough doesn't clump, add the remaining tablespoon water and pulse to incorporate, about 4 pulses. (The dough should feel quite sticky.) Press the dough into a tart pan.
Then, Tart Filling
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
1 ounce mozzarella, shredded (1/4 cup)
Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1. Pat dough into 9 inch tart pan, pressing it 3/4 inch up the sides of the pan. Lay plastic wrap over the dough and smooth out any bumps using the palm of your hand. Leaving the plastic on top of the dough, put the tart pan on a large plate and freeze the tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes.
2. Adjust the oven rack to the middle and heat oven to 375. Set the tart pan on a large baking sheet. Press a double layer of foil into the frozen tart shell and over the edges of the pan and fill with pie weights. (I don't have pie weights so I just use dried beans.) Bake until the tart shell is golden brown and set, about 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and carefully remove the weights and foil.
3. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the Parmesan evenly over the bottom of the tart shell, return the baking sheet to the oven, and continue to bake until the cheese is golden, 5-10 minutes. Let the tart shell cool on the baking sheet while making the filling. Increase the oven temp to 425.
4. Meanwhile, spread the zucchini out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let drain for 30 minutes; gently blot the tops of the zucchini dry with paper towels before using. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic together in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan, ricotta, mozzarella, and remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil together and season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the tart shell. Shingle the zucchini on top of the ricotta in concentric circles. Drizzle the garlic-olive oil mixture evenly over the zucchini. Bake the tart on the baking sheet until the cheese is bubbling, 20-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.
6. Let the tart cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the basil. Take the tart out of the pan and serve warm!
*Summer Vegetable Gratin
(from America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook)
Gabe and I loved this but it was way too much work to make on a regular basis. Plus, Levi doesn't always love trying new things and it took him 45 minutes to eat the portion I gave him! I really wish we would have had tomatoes from our garden ripe to use...but they aren't quite ready yet.
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound zucchini, ends trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-think slices
1 pound yellow summer squash (prep like zucchini)
2 teaspoons table salt
1 1/2 pounds of ripe tomatoes (3 large), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 medium onions, halved pole to pole and sliced thin (about 3 cups)
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 slice high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
2 medium shallots, minced (about 6 tablespoons)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves.
1. Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 400. Brush a 13X9 inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the oil; set aside.
2. Toss the zucchini and summer squash slices with 1 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl; transfer to a colander set over a bowl. Let stand until the zucchini and squash release at least 3 tablespoons of liquid, about
45 minutes. Arrange the slices on a triple layer of paper towels; cover with another triple layer. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible.
3. Place the tomato slices in a single layer on a double layer of paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon more salt; let stand 30 minutes. Place a second double layer of paper towels on top of the tomatoes and press firmly to dry the tomatoes.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon more oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and dark golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Set the onions aside.
5. Combine the garlic, 3 tablespoons more oil, the remaining 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and the thyme in a small bowl. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini and summer squash in half of the oil mixture, then arrange in the greased baking dish. Arrange the caramelized onions in an even layer over the squash. Slightly overlap the tomato slices in a single layer on top of the onions. Spoon the remaining garlic-oil mixture evenly over the tomatoes. Bake until the vegetables are tender and the tomatoes are starting to brown on the edges, 40-45 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, process the bread in a food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Combine the bread crumbs, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the Parmesan, and shallots in a medium bowl. Remove the baking dish from the oven and increase the heat to 450. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly on top of the tomatoes. Bake the gratin until bubbling and the cheese is lightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and cool 10 minutes before enjoying!
*Zucchini Fusilli
Good flavor (with the addition of some crushed red pepper) but sadly a pretty dry pasta dish.
And of course I've made the classic zucchini bread and also made
these zucchini muffins. The muffins were good, Levi especially loved them with a little more honey drizzled over them. Makes them a little less healthy but a lot more delicious!
If anyone else has recipes to share, please do. And if you try any of the recipes I posted or linked to, let me know how you liked them!
We have lots more of summer's most abundant squash to enjoy!
