Zucchini Recipes for Extra Squash

Zucchini is the taste of summer. This time of year your garden might be producing multiple zucchini each day. If you miss a few under the green canopy you might be surprised to find a huge fruit the size of a small dachshund. After distributing some around the neighborhood and leaving a basket at swim lessons with a "take these please" sign tacked on, you are determined to find some more ways to get your family to eat the delicious, nutritious zucchini.

Grilled - Slice about a quarter inch thick, blanch or microwave briefly, sprinkle with your favorite Italian dressing and grill. This is best eaten immediately but can be very versatile as a leftover. The next day grilled zucchini can seem a bit slimy, but the taste is still fantastic. It's great in a soup or on a sandwich. Add some to the pan before making scrambled eggs. Top with some cheese.

Baked - Cut a medium sized zucchini into circles, layer in a baking dish, sprinkle with salt and granulated garlic, a tablespoon of olive oil, some bread crumbs and some parmesan or Romano cheese and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Zucchini Fries - Cut several small zucchini lengthwise, then lengthwise again to make French fry shaped lengths. Dip into beaten egg whites then spread on a lightly oiled pan. Salt to taste and bake at 350 until crisp and delicious.

Zucchini and Swiss chard - This combo uses two of the most prolific garden producers. First, slice zucchini into bite size rounds or half circles. Heat a pan with a small amount of oil. Season and sauté zucchini. Prepare Swiss chard by washing carefully and chopping stems. Add stems to the pan and sauté briefly. Chop remaining swiss chard leaves, toss in pan, and stir. Toss gently until all leaves are wilted. Some people prefer to dress with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Other favorites are white miso dressing or a sweet dressing like raspberry vinaigrette or a pomegranate glaze.

Raw -- Zucchini can be eaten raw and is delicious cut into small pieces topping a salad. Or, invest in a spiral cutting vegetable slicer like a Saladaco and turn zucchini into noodles. Top with a warm spaghetti sauce or some lightly sautéed tomatoes.

You can freeze extra zucchini until winter for baking into bread, cookies or for use in meatloaf. Shred a large amount, scoop it in portioned one-cup amounts onto a cookie sheet, and flash freeze it in a freezer. Once frozen (after an hour or so), the lumps of shredded zucchini can be stored in a plastic storage bag until zucchini is a distant memory. Zucchini in this form looses a bit of its texture and is better suited for baking or mixing into a larger dish or soup where the softness will not be noticed.

No matter how you slice it zucchini is a wonderful summer dish. Don't get stuck preparing it the same old ways. Be creative and try something new.