Zucchini Recipes

What do you do when the only plant in your garden that produces vegetables is the zucchini plant? And not just a few nice zucchinis, but 50 pounds of zucchini? Aside from considering tossing it into the neighbors cow pasture, I decided to take a walk on the ‘green’ side and find recipes.

Recipe One: Zucchini Pasta. This was actually my idea (I know, you’re gasping!) but I’m sure I’m not the first one to try it. Using my julienne slicer, I cut the oversized zucchini into pasta noodles, sprinkled them with parmesan cheese and baked @ 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes. I topped it with spaghetti and meat sauce, but meatballs, a marinara sauce, or a cream sauce are just as yummy.
My vote: 5 out of 5 stars.
Kids vote: 2 out of 5 stars.

Recipe Two. Zucchini Custard Pie, found in the Whole Foods recipe book. Surprisingly sweet and delightful. Great with a cup of coffee. (This would be best served immediately, as the next day the zucchini reduced the pie crust to a gooey mess).
My vote: 3 out of 5
Kids vote: 2 out of 5

Recipe Three: Roasted Garden Veggies. This is a personal favorite that I use year-round with whatever veggies are available. Today I used zucchini, Vidalia onions and sweet potatoes – all chopped into bite-size pieces. In a mixing bowl, I coated the veggies with about 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper (and sometimes a dash of cayenne pepper). Bake at 400 until potatoes are soft – usually about 40 minutes.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5

Recipe Four: Baked Zucchini Custard. Diced zucchini, onion and peppers in one bowl. Puree 2 eggs, about 10 ounces of silken tofu, ½ grated cheese. Mixed together with veggies. Pour into a baking dish. 350 F for about 40 minutes, or until the top is nice and golden brown.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 3 out of 5

Recipe Five: Good Ol’ Zucchini Bread and Muffins. There are three dozen different recipes in the cookbooks in my house and they are all wonderful.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5

Recipe Six: Chocolate Zucchini Bread. Same as above, just add cocoa powder.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5

Recipe Seven: Zucchini Pizza Crust. Again, this one is my creation – purely out of need. Grate 1-2 over-grown or 6-7 normal sized zucchini. Squeeze out extra water. Mix with 3-4 egg whites, parmesan cheese, chopped basil (fresh or dried), and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (for a gluten free pizza crust, use rice flour or any other flour substitute). Spread on a pizza pan and bake until eggs are done.
A variety of toppings go well on this: traditional pizza toppings or for a fresh meal, try fresh basil, tomato and mozzarella cheese. This is also good as a standalone zucchini bread without any toppings.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5 (although my youngest insisted on a 3 out of 5 rating)