August 8: National Zucchini Day

[Sherman A1]

[Locut0s]

1. I'll wait for National Cucumber day :P...

Never been a huge Zucchini fan, though it's not bad when baked into some dishes.

[Sherman A1]

2. Years ago

My "Charming Ex-Wife" made zucchini bread. It was actually rather tasty.

[In_The_Wind]

5. I used to make zucchini bread.

Maybe I'll start baking again.
Do you think it would work in my bread-maker? I haven't used that in years.

[PotatoChip]

9. That is the only way I can eat zucchini.

Otherwise

(My mother could never waste food. Ever. I still have nightmare memories of the year that our family garden yielded a massive quantity of them).

[In_The_Wind]

11. It's even worse if they aren't picked young. The big ones look like a baseball bat.

Dry and pulpy inside.

I always find some way to use food so little is wasted.

[BarenakedLady]

3. And here I am with nary a zucchini...

[Sherman A1]

4. Fear Not!

It is also National Sneak A Zucchini on your neighbors porch night. Perhaps the Zucchini Elves will solve your current situation.

[sharp_stick]

12. I could send you a bucket

We've had such an abundance of them this year that my neighbors have quit answering the door when we come by.


So we just dump them on their steps.

[LiberalEsto]

6. Take a zucchini to lunch! nt

[Arkansas Granny]

7. In honor of the day I have done the following I grated up the 3 large zucchinis that

my boss brought in to work yesterday from his garden. I got 4, 3 cup batches of zucchini out of it. I put 3 in the freezer and made zucchini bread with the last one. I discovered that I only had 1 loaf pan, so I put the extra batter in an 8 X 8 baking pan and called it cake. I'll dust it with powdered sugar before I let the guys cut into it. I put lots of cinnamon, cloves and allspice in the batter, so it smells wonderful in the office.

[ballardgirl]

8. We've got bunches

of zukes this year. So far we've made bread, casserole, pasta (using the zuke instead of noodle). Zucchini makes delicious salsa!

[frogmarch]

10. I know! :-D

To celebrate, Mr. froggie is making his special creation for lunch. Yum!

[RavensChick]

13. Now you tell me!

I was at the grocery store a few minutes ago and bought a small cabbage I'm going to fix tonight. Oh, well. It's still a green vegetable so I'm good.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

14. Slice them and spread a thin coat of olive oil on either side and grill them. yummers!

also, this is delicious, too:

Zucchini Parmesan
Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
Kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

For the zucchini:
2 medium-to-large zucchini
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup olive oil, for frying
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into 12 pieces
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 12 pieces, plus more for topping (optional)
2/3 cup ricotta cheese

Directions
Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to sizzle, about 5 minutes. Add half of the basil and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally and smashing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon, 25 minutes. Stir in the remaining basil and season with salt.

Prepare the zucchini: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Trim the zucchini and halve crosswise, then slice lengthwise into 18 strips, about 1/4 inch thick. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs and milk in another dish. In a third dish, combine the panko, parmesan, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Working in batches, dredge the zucchini in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip in the egg mixture, turning to coat; let the excess drip off, then dredge in the panko mixture, pressing to help it stick. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the zucchini in a single layer and fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels; season with salt.

Lay 6 pieces fried zucchini a few inches apart in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top each with a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce, a slice of mozzarella and a piece of prosciutto. Repeat the layering (zucchini, sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto), then top with the remaining zucchini. Top with a little more sauce, sprinkle with parmesan and dollop with the ricotta. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Top the stacks with more prosciutto. Serve with the remaining sauce.

[Sherman A1]

15. Sounds Great!

Thanks for posting!