Cultivate fresh crop of squash, zucchini dishes

Tag : Paprika Powder



Just when we were made desperate by a garden running amok withsquash, the plants started wimping out. One day, we came home andhalf the plants were splayed flat, the leaves yellow and limp.
I don't know the cause, but it's clear there will be noresuscitation. Thankfully, we still have some already-picked squashleft to enjoy for a short time.
A number of people responded to my request two weeks ago for squashrecipes. Hopefully, your plants are still chugging along; if youdon't grow it, there's plenty of fresh squash to be had around townor at the supermarket.
Harriet Little of Summerville shares her longtime favorite. "I vary theproportions of yellow squash, zucchini and carrots, depending onwhat I have. The second is not exactly a formal recipe, but is myfavorite way to prepare yellow squash."
Zucchini Hot Dish
2 pounds yellow squash/zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup carrots, grated
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (see cook's note)
1/2 cup margarine, butter or canola oil
Cook's note: For the breadcrumbs, Harriet says, "I like a mixtureof spices, including garlic and oregano, but like to vary,sometimes using a Greek seasoning mix."
Steam, microwave, or cook squash and onions in boiling water for 5minutes; drain. Combine with soup and sour cream. Add carrots,margarine or butter, and half of the breadcrumbs. Lightly coat a8x12-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread 1/4 cup of crumbs on bottom. Spoon in vegetable mixture andsprinkle with remaining crumbs. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Suggestion: Make two dishes and freeze one.
Alma Collier of Harleyville sent a slew of appealing recipes fromdifferent sources. Here's one.
Sausage-Zucchini Boats
Yields 4 servings
4 medium zucchini
1/4 pound bulk pork sausage
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 cups fine cracker crumbs
1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon MSG (monosodium glutamate; optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Dash of garlic salt
Dash of pepper
Paprika
Cook whole zucchini in boiling water until barely tender, 7 to 10minutes. Cut in half lengthwise; scoop squash from shells and mash.
Cook sausage with onion; drain off excess fat. Stir in mashedzucchini. Reserving 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, add remainingingredients except paprika. Mix well; spoon into zucchini shells.Place shells in a shallow baking dish; sprinkle with reservedparmesan cheese and dash of paprika. Bake in 350-degree oven for 25to 30 minutes.
Kathee Hering of Summerville and her husband, Larry, also grow zucchini and havedeveloped their own version of stuffed zucchini.
Stuffed Zucchini
2 medium zucchini (8-10 inches long)
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
1/2 small sweet onion, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan and Romano cheese (optional)
1 (10-ounce) jar Ragu Chunky Garden Spaghetti Sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon each dried oregano, basil and parsley (may use freshinstead)
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (8-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
Cut about an inch off of each end of the zucchini and poke with afork several times to allow steam to escape. Place on a paper towelin the microwave and cook on high until tender, about 1 minute perside, checking for tenderness as you go.
While still warm, carefully cut zucchini in half lengthwise andscoop out centers to within 1/2 inch of the skin and discard. Spraya 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking oil and place zucchini shellsinside.
Brown the sausage with onion and garlic in a large frying pan. Stirin breadcrumbs, parmesan and Romano cheeses, if using, spaghettisauce, egg and seasonings. Mix well.
Fill shells, pour tomato sauce over top and bake at 350 degrees forabout 40 minutes.
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake about 10 minutes longeruntil cheese is melted, or broil to brown about 5 minutes.
For zucchini recipes, Pat Jarvis of Mount Pleasant recommends "The Classic Zucchini Cookbook" byNancy Ralston, Marynor Jordan and Andrea Chesman. Pat says apersonal favorite is Zucchini Moussaka from James Villas' "Town andCountry Cookbook."
"I usually make this with ground beef, and use double the amount (2pounds) to make it a more substantial dish."
Zucchini Moussaka
4 to 5 zucchini (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound lean lamb
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
Scrub zucchini under running water, cut in half lengthwise, and cuthalves crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet to very hot; add the zucchini,fry very quickly on all sides until slightly browned (in batches ifnecessary), and drain on paper towels.
Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet, lower heat tomoderate, add the onion and garlic, and saute for 1 minutes. Addthe lamb or beef, cinnamon, nutmeg, parsley and salt and pepper totaste; stir well, and cook until lamb is nicely browned. Removeskillet from heat.
Heat remaining butter in a saucepan; add the flour and stir rapidlywith a whisk over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Gradually add themilk, stirring, then the egg, stirring constantly until saucethickens.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a greased 9x13x2-inch baking pan, arrange a layer of zucchini,top with lamb mixture, sprinkle with 1/2 of the crumbled cheese,cover with remaining zucchini, sprinkle on remaining cheese, andpour on sauce. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Ruth Carter of Mount Pleasant writes, "My favorite way to fix zucchini comesfrom 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 2' (1970) by JuliaChild and Simone Beck. It has been very popular with dinner guestsover the years. The authors give a number of variations; the baserecipe follows ... delicious and easy."
Grated Zucchini Sauteed in Butter and Shallots
4-6 servings
2 to 2 1/2 pounds zucchini
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
2 to 3 tablespoons minced shallots or scallions
Additional butter at serving time
Trim, wash, and grate zucchini. For each pound of zucchini (2 cups)add 1 teaspoon salt and let stand in colander for up to 10 minutes.Rinse, squeeze dry. Melt butter and olive (or canola) oil overmoderate heat and stir in the shallots or scallions. Cook for amoment then raise heat to moderately high; when foaming, addzucchini. Toss and turn it frequently for 4-5 minutes. It is readyto serve when tender but can be covered and cooked over low heat afew more minutes.
Note: This can be prepared to this point up to several hours ahead.When ready to serve, reheat if needed, taste and add salt andpepper as needed. Fold in additional butter, if desired, turn intoa hot dish and serve.
Ellen Stengel of Summerville says this is a tasty dish. It's a zucchini pie muchlike one in the cookbook "South Carolina