They’re back! Not just the bikers who come in thousands to rally
in Hollister. Not just the fireworks going off every night as kids
can’t wait for the real Independence Day.
They’re back! Not just the bikers who come in thousands to rally in Hollister. Not just the fireworks going off every night as kids can’t wait for the real Independence Day. Not just the scent of hundreds of neighborhood barbecues firing up to char meat.
No, something scarier, more intrusive and harder to deal with than any of those things.
The zucchini are back.
A friend you hardly ever see shows up with a plastic bag full of the shining green squash. The kitchen counter at work is piled with zucchini donated by enthusiastic weekend gardeners. I have even heard of people who accidentally left their car window open and found their passenger seat filled with zucchini in the morning.
What are these mysterious veggies, and why are there so many of them?
To find out more, I looked in “Jane Brody’s Good Food Book” and online at FoodReference.com. Here is what FoodReference had to say:
“Squash … belong to the plant family that includes melons and cucumbers. Among substances present in summer squash are … two phytochemicals, coumarins and flavonoids.”
I also learned that summer squash has large amounts of folate and potassium, and the rind of summer squash is rich in the nutrient beta-carotene. To gain the full nutritional benefits of this vegetable, the skins or rinds should be eaten.
More from FoodReference: “Squash has been a staple for the Native Americans for over 5,000 years, and was a mainstay for early Europeans who settled in America. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were enthusiastic squash growers. In the nineteenth century, merchant seamen returned from other parts of the Americas with many new varieties. This resulted in the various colors, shapes and sizes that are available today.”
Summer squash, including zucchini, have been around for a long time. In perusing other Web sites, I concluded that part of the reason zucchini are so popular is that they are easy to grow, especially in our mild climate. And that could also explain why there are so many of them.
So, how can we put our bounty to use?
They are delicious raw, sliced thinly into a salad or cut into strips as part of a vegetable platter for dipping.
It’s almost as easy to prepare the following.
Grilled Zucchini
Step 1: Allow one medium zucchini per person plus an extra.
Step 2: Cut off the ends and slice each squash in half vertically, then in half again, so you have four long flat strips.
Step 3: Put the strips on a shallow platter and spread with good-flavored olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Place the strips over a medium-hot fire until marked; turn with tongs and mark on the other side.
Step 5: Move the strips to indirect heat and cover the grill. Cook about 10 minutes. Watch them because they will burn easily.
Another classic preparation is in the Mediterranean dish Ratatouille, which uses a number of other summer vegetables as well. Here is a recipe, from the 1961 “New York Times Cookbook” by Craig Claiborne, that I have been making successfully for more than 30 years.
Ratatouille Nicoise
Serves 5 to 6. This may be eaten hot, at room temperature or cold. It is great to make in the cool morning to serve later in the day. I like it best just slightly warm, with a spoonful of sour cream on top.
This recipe is also fairly forgiving: Proportions can vary according to what you have available, and canned tomatoes can be used instead of fresh.
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 or more cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 medium zucchini, well scrubbed
1 small eggplant
3 Tbs. flour
2 green peppers, seeded and cut in strips
5 ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Step 1 Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet (heavy because ratatouille cooks slowly on top of the stove, and a heavy skillet will help avoid hot spots and scorching). Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium-low heat until the onion is transparent.
Step 2: Meanwhile, remove the stems and ends from the zucchini and eggplant. Slice the squash into 1/2-inch rounds and cube the eggplant. It does not need to be peeled. Flour the vegetable pieces lightly.
Step 3: Add the squash, eggplant and green peppers to the skillet, cover and cook slowly about one hour.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is thick. Season with salt and pepper. Add capers during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Finally, here is a recipe for zucchini bread. While the single recipe only uses one medium-to large zucchini, the bread freezes well, so you could make a multiple batch and freeze it to take to parties or give as gifts long after zucchini season is over.
Zucchini Spice Bread
(adapted from Everyday Food at marthastewart.com)
Makes 1 loaf. If you plan to bake this bread in a smaller loaf pan, be sure to fill it no more than three-quarters full to prevent the batter from overflowing in the oven.
Soft butter for the baking pan
1 medium-to-large zucchini
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 tsp. salt
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-inch-by-5-inch-by-3-inch loaf pan with butter, and set aside.
Step 2: Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater (to yield 1 3/4 cups); set aside.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, vanilla and eggs.
Step 4
Into a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini.
Step 5: Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, then re-invert, top side up. Cool completely before slicing.
