What to do with all that zucchini

When I was growing up my dad always grew zucchini in his garden so we had it with many dinners. He preferred his vegetables well-cooked which made zucchini mushy so I did not think I liked it. Later on, a friend of mine made steamed zucchini at her house and I discovered I like zucchini after all.

We always seemed to end up with more zucchini than we knew what to do with; zucchini plants tend to do that. Our recipe collection back then was limited to cooked zucchini with butter on it, zucchini bread and fried zucchini (sliced long-ways) which Dad ate on sandwiches.

Cooks have gotten more creative in the last few decades and we also have the internet to discover a variety of new ways to prepare zucchini.

Besides making soup with it and adding it to an endless number of dishes, zucchini can be fried or baked as chips or fries, baked as boats full of meat or veggie mixtures, or fixed as a substitute for pasta (in the form of ribbons or spaghetti).

Zucchini can be baked in many ways – cut in half length-wise, in slices or strips, any of which can be brushed with olive oil and seasoned with herbs and/or the grated cheese of your choice. It can be chopped up and combined with other veggies for a salsa, or grated and added to pancake batter or made into veggie patties.

Sliced as rounds, zucchini can be layered into a lasagna, used for a mini pizza base or served as a cracker replacement under your favorite toppings for appetizers. Cut in long slices, zucchini can be part of a cool salad or used in making sushi (for the outside wrap). Even the blossoms on a zucchini plant can be stuffed, dipped in batter and fried (removing the stamen first).

So, if you are growing zucchini in your garden, you now know what to do with all that zucchini.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries

Recipe courtesy of Food Network KitchenTotal Time: 50 min Prep: 20 min Cook: 30 min Yield:6 to 8 servings Level: Easy

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1 pound zucchini (2 to 3 small-to-medium zucchini), cut into 3-inch-by-1/4-inch sticks

1. Special equipment: 2 wire racks; 2 rimmed baking sheets
2. Adjust 2 oven racks to the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Put the wire racks in the baking sheets and coat each generously with cooking spray.
3. Combine the flour and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Combine the eggs and 3/4 teaspoon salt in another large plastic bag; combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a third large plastic bag.
4. Add about a half of the zucchini sticks to the bag with the flour and use a combination of your hands and shaking the bag to coat the zucchini.
5. Remove the zucchini and shake off any excess flour. Transfer to the egg wash and repeat until coated. Let any excess egg drip off before transferring to the breadcrumb mixture; repeat until fully coated.
6. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets and coat the breaded zucchini generously with cooking spray (there's no need to turn them). Repeat with the remaining zucchini
7. Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom about halfway through, until golden brown and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt and serve warm with your favorite dipping sauces.

Zucchini roll-ups

Ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices with a mandoline slicer or a peeler
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces fresh goat cheese or cream cheese
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2/3 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 red pepper, halved and sliced
• green onion stems, steamed or microwaved and separated into 8 – 10 strips
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium.
2. Discard the outermost slices of zucchini; brush the rest with oil on both sides. Sprinkle the zucchini slices with salt and pepper. Grill until tender, about 4 minutes per side. (The zucchini can be prepared a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)
3. In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese or cream cheese and lemon juice, mashing together with a fork.
4. Spread a tablespoon of the cheese mixture down the length of each zucchini slice. Top with a parsley and a piece of red pepper.
5. Roll up each slice and tie it tight with a green onion stem.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.