OK - my first garden (still in the city) and somehow when I wasn't looking my tiny 2" zuke turned into a giant 10" monster. I want to have it for dinner tonight - it's just me. I'm trying to lean towards vegetarianism but have no experience. What's your favorite zucchini-as-main-dish receipe? (meat is ok)

-- Deborah (ActuaryMom@hotmail.com), August 03, 2000

Answers

Deborah, collect an assortment of toothpicks, skewers, and chopsticks. Grab a roll of wax paper. Draw yourself a nice hot bath, and crawl in with your zuke and the rest of the stuff. Use the toothpicks, etc for masts and the wax paper for sails and build yourself a great sailboat.

If you want to do something boring with your zucchini like eat it, check your cookbooks for any summer squash recipes, and there was an earlier thread about crooknecks you could check. Cut it in half the long way and scoop out the seeds and stuff it (in the compost heap)with leftovers, a rice mixture like Spanish rice, bread/cracker crumbs, fried burger and any of the above, grated cheese or tofu and any of the above then bake or nuke it. Grate the thing, steam it briefly to wilt it a bit and use it as you would a base of rice or pasta. Make a kind of fried rice dish by scrambling a couple of eggs in a wok, then adding shredded zuke and other veggies according to their cooking times. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), August 03, 2000.

I love all your responses Gerbil!!! I cook my zuckes by slicing long ways, scoop out "meat" and mix with grated cheese and top with a dab of butter and bake until tender and golden!!It's really quick and easy and you can use the other to make the sail boat with! :)

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), August 03, 2000.

rotfl - I KNEW there was a way to get my seven year old interested in what comes our of the garden! She'd rather make sail boats than eat these days!

Ok - "stuffed" and baked it will be!

-- Deborah (ActuaryMom@hotmail.com), August 03, 2000.

Sorry I can't remember the exact recipie, but I saw a show last week that used zucchini like pasta for a vegetarian "lasagna". First they salted zucchini slices to draw out moisture, then fried in a very generous amount of olive oil (make sure the oil is hot enough). After the slices were fried and cooled, they got a baking dish, a jar of good tomato sauce, and some shredded cheese. The sauce went in first (thin layer), then the slices and cheese. Repeat until the dish is full and bake.

-- Chris Stogdill (cstogdill@rmci.net), August 03, 2000.

I believe that the things conspire to hide their babies until they turn into monsters, and laugh hysterically at our surprise when we find them!

There was an article in Readers Digest about Zucchini sports a few years ago, and I would LOVE to get ahold of that story again. Like White water Zucchini--you hollow it out, and set sail with it. If you sink, you WIN the race? And do you know why folks at church lock their cars this time of year? To protect themselves from suddlenly appearing grocery sack of LARGE zucchini! Zuchini basball, using a zucchini as a bat! I laughed so hard I cried.

Find a zucchini bread recipie that makes two loaves, but bake it in a rectangular cake pan. Or one for carrot cake, and use Zucchini, instead of carrots. Frost it with cream cheese frosting when cooled. Goes over well ar our house!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), August 03, 2000.

Deborah, This is my favorite recipe for zucchini, husband likes it and kids will eat it... Baked Tomato Risotto (From Country casseroles by Easy Home Cooking) 2 med. zucchini 1 jar (28 oz.) spaghetti sauce l can (l4 oz.) chicken broth l can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms (I substitute green chilis) l cup arborio rice (I use brown rice and cook it first) 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Yellow bell pepper slices (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 3 qt. casserole with nonstick spray. Slice zucchini, Combine spaghetti sauce, broth, zucchini, mushrooms or green chilis and rice in prepared dish. Bake, covered 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir casserole. Cover and bake l5 to 20 min. or until rice is tender. Remove from oven; sprionkle evenly with cheese. Bake, uncovered 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with yellow pepper, if desired.

-- Patti (trigger@mcn.net), August 03, 2000.

Thinly sliced and sauteed in Olive oil with garlic and tomatoes, then served over pasta is my family's current favorite way of eating zucchini. A sprinkling of parmesan cheese is the perfect addition. I just used my monster to make zucchini relish (like pickle relish) and I think it tasted marvelous. Good luck.

-- glynnis in KY (gabbycab@msn.com), August 04, 2000.

I never really liked zucchini until our friend Mert shared this recipe:

Mert's Zucchini Fritters: 1 c. grated zucchini 1/2 c. grated carrot 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. grated onion 2 Tbsp. minced parsley 2 Tbsp. minced basil 1 clove garlic minced 1 egg 1/2 c flour (I sometimes use 1/4c flour - 1/4c cornmeal) dash pepper Mix all together, drop by tablespoons into hot oil in skillet. Fry till golden brown. You can eat plain or experiment with dipping sauces, sweet/sour, honey mustard, etc.

-- Rog (flanders@probe.net), August 04, 2000.

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas. If I'm not carefull I'm actually going to learn how to cook (My ex would be shocked). Dinner was WONERFUL. The zuke wasn't as big as I'd built it up in my brain. It was about 10" long but only about 3 1/2" at the the widest point. I made some rice while deciding what to do - I decided on stuffed and baked. I didn't follow any specific receipe, just read them all and them did what sounded good and right to me. Rice + salsa + tomato sauce + sauted onion & garlic & zuchini pulp, with salt, pepper and chili powder. Hollowed out the zuke (left about 3/8" thick). Piled the stuffing on the shells and baked for 30 minutes, then sprinkled mozzerella and baked another 5 min. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven - stuffed zucchini and a Guiness!

-- Deborah (ActuaryMom@hotmail.com), August 04, 2000.

I am a little late, but here is another recipe:

Zuccini Pie 4c zuccini 1 onion saute these then add: 1 1/2 - 2 cups of sour cream and cottage cheese or plain yogert in some combination to make the 1 1/2- 2c

1tsp dill weed 2inch square of swiss chz 2inch square of ham-chopped, optional 1/4 c parmesian chz pour all into precooked pie shell bake at 350 for 25-30min

Where there was one zuccini more will SURELY follow! Tami in WI

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), August 08, 2000.

Since you have already received plenty of answers to your question I thought I would give you the REAL answer. Carefully scoop out all of the seeds, stuff with three large bed pillows and pull it up close to the table when sitting on it. LOL (Sorry, I couldn't resist this one.)

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), August 08, 2000.