Tis summer squash season, the time when it's wise to roll up your car windows and bar your porches to avoid the sly drop-off of surplus giant zucchinis from gardening neighbors. That is, unless you're one of those who welcome zucchinis into your kitchen.
I love zucchini and am happy to be getting plenty from the garden. I haven't made zucchini relish this year, but it's a great recipe for those who enjoy adding a little zip to their meals. I made the Happy Herbivore's Chocolate Zucchini Muffins and can vouch for their deliciousness. If you have family who shudders at the thought of yet another zucchini recipe, these muffins may just change their minds.
Zucchini can be sliced thinly and then dehydrated for use during the winter. Or you can try making zucchini chips. There are lots of recipes online with different seasonings for the chips or you can just leave the zucchini plain and eat the chips with dip. I dried some zucchini with pepperoni-type spices to use on pizzas. No, it doesn't taste like pepperoni but it gives my pizza an extra kick!
When you've reached the saturation point for cooking or baking with zucchini, the freezer is your friend. Simply shred your zucchini and measure out a cup or two, or the amount you would use in your baked good recipes. Freeze in Ziploc baggies or vacuum pack. The zucchini will lose its firm texture in the freezer but will still work fine in breads and soups.
Speaking of soups, I recently came across an interesting looking recipe for Zucchini Chili. I made this last night and it was wonderful. The zucchini doesn't quite disappear into the sauce but it certainly does not overwhelm the dish. I made some changes to the recipe and present my version to you here. I've renamed it as well since it now contains all three vegetables from a three sisters garden: corn, squash, and beans.
Three Sisters Zucchini Chili*
1 cup celery, sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
6 cups grated unpeeled zucchini
1 3/4 cups (or 15 oz can) tomato sauce
2 cups water
3 1/2 cups (or 29 oz can) whole tomatoes with juice
3 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 - 3 tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups (or 15 oz can, drained) cooked kidney beans
Saute celery, onion, and pepper until celery is tender, but not browned.
Add zucchini and cook another few minutes.
Add tomato sauce, water, whole tomatoes, corn, and spices.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for one hour.
Add the beans. Simmer another 15 minutes.
Serve with whole wheat bread or cornbread for a filling meal. Serves 8.
Note: I prefer to add salt at the table so that each person can determine how much they need. Avoiding salt in cooking is also helpful for those watching their sodium intake due to high blood pressure.
*Updated to add: I made this chili again and omitted the corn since I was making cornbread to go with it. We decided we like it better without the corn (but with cornbread).
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10 comments:
Very nice!
We tire of zukes fairly early one, but the poultry will take any we are willing to cut apart and heave over their fence.
I wish zukes were being left on my door step! My plants were an utter failure this year...the cucumber beetles were out in full force :-) Happy preserving!
Perfect timing - we were just given a box of zucchini. The chili recipe is perfect - I have all the ingredients so am good to go. Of course, here in Oregon the Three Sisters are peaks in our Cascade mountain range... Thanks for the post.
Having just received a bounty of zukes, I'm going to give this chili a gor round. And, I've dehydrated scads for winter soups etc. Have always loved munching on the chips. Thanks for sharing.
No one ever gives me zucchini. I feel unloved now *sniff*
The three sisters chili sounds delicious. I will try it next time I make chili. But I will have to buy the zucchini for it so maybe I'll only make half a recipe :)
Risa - Do you dry any zucchini in your dehydrator? The "chips" are great snacks!
Heather - we don't have any of our own zucchinis, but the organic garden (mini-farm) has plenty. I sometimes end up with the monsters as customers don't like to buy them, fearing they will be seedy. (Sometimes they are, but that's easy enough to cut out.)
2 Tramps - I thought of the Oregon mountains when renaming the chili. I'd love to be there hiking! Did you make the chili?
Sharlene - this is a recipe that should work great in a solar oven. Be tasty for sampling, too!
Marla - ah, I'm sorry. Next year you'll have to plant a zucchini in your yard so you'll have plenty. I'll betcha there are zucchini at your local farmer's market...
Still have your chili on my list. Thought I had the peppers but I don't so will have to wait until I get to town. Will grate and freeze the zucchini to be ready!
Good thing you are not here hiking - there are so many fires and everything is smoke. One fire is up between Mt. Washington and Sisters and they had to close the Pacific Crest Trail in that area.
You are so lucky! We have been overtaken by squash bugs this year, even my squash bug resistant Italian varieties are showing the strain. We've gotten exactly one summer squash this year, and it was too shrivelled to eat.
I keep watering them, hoping when the weather cools a little they will perk up and produce.
Woohoo! Thank you for this! Dinner tomorrow night, for sure.
--Jenn
2 Tramps - wow, I hope they get the fires under control soon. We had some devastating ones in Arizona this year, too.
TFHS - yep, the story of Arizona gardening: baby it and hope it comes back in the fall! Good luck!
Jenn - you're welcome. It's my dinner tonight again, too.
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