Recipe – Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini

If left to its own accord, the average zucchini would grow as big as a baseball bat. The biggest one recorded was 7 feet 10 inches long!

The zucchini or ayokonetl originated in the Americas, specifically Mesoamerica. Three centuries later, it was in Italy that the modern-day zucchini finally came to be, where it was dubbed zucchino (little squash). The French call it courgette, a name that has been adopted by the English. Britain and Ireland refer to a variety that is slightly larger and plumper as marrow. The colonists of New England adopted the name squash, a word derived from several Native American words which meant “something eaten raw.”

Mexico’s zucchini origins were an integral part of the ancient diet of maize, beans, and squashes. That pre-Columbian food trio is still the mainstay of Mexican cuisine and is known today as the “three sisters.” In Mexico, the zucchini flowers are often preferred over the fruit and are frequently cooked in soups or used for quesadillas.

While pumpkins and winter squash have been popular in the United States since the time of the Pilgrims, the most common squash grown today has only been popular in the US for the last 50 years. It is now grown by more gardeners than any other squash.

Zucchini squash is the favored jewel of all the summer squashes. Its flavor is light and sweet with flesh as delicate as a flower and texture that melts in the mouth. Zucchini’s many varieties offer countless opportunities in preparing a varied menu of colorful summer and fall dishes.

Recipe – Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients

3 cups unpeeled zucchini, yellow or green, grated (use large holes of food grater)

¾ cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. tahini

¼ cup green onions (include green portion), sliced

½ tsp. Himalayan salt

½ tsp. dill seed (not weed)

Process

Whisk together lemon juice and tahini. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients including lemon juice/tahini combination. Allow mixture to sit for 15-20 minutes. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon mixture into skillet, using a spatula to flatten into a fritter shape. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Flip with a spatula, and cook another 2-4 minutes. If fritters are getting too brown, reduce heat to allow centers to cook more fully. Once golden brown and set, remove and serve immediately. Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream. Delish!

Recipe – Zucchini Easy Pan

Zucchini Easy Pan

Put some olive oil in a deep dish pan. Spread one layer of sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, sliced potatoes and, lastly sliced zucchini. Sprinkle it with a little salt and add another layer of each as before, starting with the onions, finishing with the zucchini. Sprinkle it again with salt and add a little more olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees until vegetables are tender. It will cook in its own juice. Very tasty and easy!.

Recipe shared by Julia Hornback. Thanks, Julia!

Recipe – Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing

½ cup quinoa, rinsed

½ cup almonds, chopped

4 medium zucchini

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered

4 tablespoons olive oil

¾ cup grated Parmesan flavored soy topping

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Arrange in a large baking dish, cut-side up. Fluff the quinoa and fold in the beans, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, ½ cup of the Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of the oil. Spoon the mixture into the zucchini. Top with the remaining tablespoon of oil and ¼ cup parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until the zucchini is tender, 25-30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Quinoa—(keen-wa)—is the king of grains, a perfect protein with a wide range of amino acids. It has approximately 17 percent high quality protein. It can be used as a cereal, in place of rice, or use the flour.