It’s that time of year again, is your zucchini out of control?? With our very strange spring weather, we didn’t get our garden planted until late, so I’m making a preemptive strike, finding recipes before the zucchini ambushes our life! Cooking Light magazine got me inspired with a zucchini article in the current issue with some new uses: pickles, coleslaw and meatloaf – add 2 cups of zucchini to your beef meatloaf to moisten it up and make it healthy – the kids will never know! On their website you will find “6 Great Recipes for Zucchini” pictured is Zucchini Oven Chips, one even includes chocolate, or another story “Help, I’m Drowning in Zucchini!”
The recipe journal on 101 Cookbooks always has innovative healthy recipes, a few zucchini recipes include: Summer Vegetable Cianfotta, A Tasty Fritta, Spinach and Zucchini Soup, and My Special Zucchini Bread which includes some unique ingredients like poppy seeds and an optional tablespoon of curry powder.
I found a hilarious story about Italian nonnas and their differing opinions on how a zucchini should be cooked at The Italian Pantry, with a stuffed zucchini recipe.
That’s Fit has “10 Healthy Zucchini Recipes” including zucchini that is stuffed, grilled, roasted, encrusted, sautéed, creamed and a ratatouille-wanna-be.
Even the New York Times posted a Zucchini ‘Pasta’ recipe, where it’s not really pasta, but zucchini ribbons.
The zucchini recipe from the Holm Family Cookbook that I tested in preparation for the zucchini onslaught was my Aunt Joan and Uncle Frank’s Sweet and Sour Zucchini, you can keep them in the refrigerator for weeks, and are refreshingly delicious.
Sweet and Sour Zucchini
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated onions
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup salad oil
- 2/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 5 uncooked zucchini (each about 7 inches long), very thinly sliced
Place the onions in a small bowl and add the cider vinegar. Let them stand for 30 minutes. Then whisk in the sugar, salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar.
In a large bowl, combine the bell pepper, celery, and zucchini. Pour the vinegar-onion
mixture over the vegetables and blend well. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight or for
at least 6 hours. Drain and serve cold. Serves 10
– Nancy, on Zucchini Patrol
“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” -Jim Davis