Zucchini Crazzzy - No. 292
The best zucchini Caprese sandwich, curried soup, easy frittata, chocolate cake, blossoms, + breakfast muffins
ZUCCHINI MAKES A BIG APPEARANCE ABOUT NOW in the South. It thrives in our high heat and thick summer humidity, swelling like long green balloons pumped with helium.
Which is good news for anyone who loves zucchini or sells zucchini. But zucchini, one of the soft-skinned summer squash family that includes our beloved yellow crookneck, is clever. Shielded under grand fan-like leaves, it grows exponentially overnight. And what starts as a tender young vegetable just right for the saute pan blows up into a whale of a zucchini you can only grate into muffin batter.
That happened in my father-in-law’s garden nearly 30 years ago. A zucchini went unnoticed and once picked could have fed the county. My young daughter carried that oversized zucchini around the yard like it was her puppy.
Personally, zucchini came into my life in the 1970s when much of America first tasted it. My mother sautéed it in olive oil, trying to wean us away from the cheesy crookneck squash casserole with crumbled Ritz crackers we so loved.
And now zucchini is everywhere. Even if you don’t grow it, someone somewhere will. If you do grow zucchini, use it as soon as it is harvested because refrigeration zaps its natural sweetness. If you buy zucchini, choose as small a zucchini as possible.
I spent the week cooking with all sizes of zucchini. I’ve learned it’s an incredibly versatile vegetable that brings not a lot of flavor to a recipe but a whole lot of moisture and freshness. Thanks to those of you who shared your favorite recipes.
Now, let’s go zucchini crazy.
Frittata: For lunch, brunch, even a light summer supper, a frittata of zucchini with some tomato and fresh herbs is sophisticated and easy. My thanks to the late great MFK Fisher, food writer extraordinaire, for this recipe.