In case you’re wondering what became of all of that zucchini that came through in the previous weeks…
Zucchini bread
There were the many trials with this zucchini bread. I adapted this zucchini bread recipe. Items above with the asterisk (*) are the adaptations. The original recipe called for one cup of grated zucchini, but I wanted to use more—I had a lot of zucchini. Unfortunately, the extra zucchini raised the moisture content, so I had to back off on the oil. About the oil—I don’t use “vegetable oil” so coconut oil seemed like the perfect substitute. (It was! The flavor profile on this bread is outstanding!) The recipe also called for a full cup of sugar and I whittling it down a bit was unnoticeable. It’s still too moist so I’ll be working on it some more. The zucchini, egg, and flour are local. Everything else is not.
- 1- 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 extra large egg
- 3/4 cup sugar*
- 1/4 cup coconut oil*
- 2 cups grated zucchini, drained*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Giambotta
I made this dish a lot last year as a slight alternative to ratatouille. Basically, it’s a sautéed fusion of produce that’s seasonal right now: eggplant, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and peppers. I used some fresh minced cayenne for heat. I don’t have any sweet peppers yet and it was fine. Some folks also add potatoes, which is a nice touch. I don’t have a new picture, so the old one will have to do. I like to spoon it over toasted Italian bread slices, like a warm bruschetta.
Zucchini refrigerator bread and butter pickles
I followed Maggie’s refrigerator zucchini recipe, as written but halved. I probably should have packed the zucchini tighter, because I ended up needing to make more of the liquid to cover the veggies. The flavor is good and these go well on burgers or straight out of the jar. They’re on the sweet side and I could probably get away with reducing the sugar.
Grilled zucchini with Tzatziki sauce
This dish helped finish off the zucchini while also providing an outlet for the plethora of cucumbers. I used this Tzatziki recipe, opting for the mint version rather than dill. I also used lime juice instead of lemon. After draining my yogurt to “Greek” it, I had about two cups, not three, but I left the other quantities as written.
After allowing the flavors to meld with the cucumbers (minus the yogurt), I drained off the liquid. The liquid is delicious in its own right, a juice of cucumber, mint, lime, and garlic. It mixed well with Onyx, our locally distilled moonshine, hence, the Tzatziki-tini…
Okay, not a zucchini drink, but still, yum!
