Zucchini Recipes

MoochNNoodles · Jul 26, 2011

I would love that Hope! Yum!!

I spent the entire day making breads out of my zucchinis and summer squash! I have 12 loaves total.... I did 2 lemon zucchini, 2 lemon-blueberry zucchini, 4 regular zucchini and 4 summer squash breads. I am sooooo tired!!

I think I will go play Santa tomorrow and give a few away!

The funny thing is I did all those zucchini breads with the same zucchini!! I didn't even get to use any I had in the refrigerator!! DH found this one hiding in the back...it was so big it looked like a warped watermelon!! I should have weighed it....

Winchester · Jul 27, 2011

I know! I swear that those things magically appear in the garden! Rick and I were in the garden the other night picking beans and looking for zucchini. There were no zucchini to be had....tons of flowers, but no zucchini. Last night? Two giant zucchinis! Those things were like clubs! Where did they come from?

I made the Zucchini Salsa last night (with my two clubs

). Oh gosh, so good! It's a salsa, so it has the cumin and the jalapeno. It doesn't taste like a relish, but I thought it was wonderful stuff. It will be delicious on grilled brats. (Sometimes I add pickle relish to my dressings for potato salad and macaroni salad and I'm tempted to try to add the salsa the next time I make it, just to see how it would taste.) I wish I could freeze this stuff; it would be nice to be able to keep it, but the recipe says to keep it in the fridge.

I still haven't had time to make that bread. Hopefully I'll get some made this coming weekend.

calico2222, that chowder is really delicious!

Thank goodness for the food processor! I'd go crazy if I had to chop all that zucchini all the time!

Winchester · Jul 27, 2011

Here's a recipe that I'm thinking about trying....it's from The Amish Cook at Home cookbook and it's for Freezer Pickles. I'm always interested in good recipes for the freezer and I've never found one for freezer pickles. The recipe takes 3 days from start to finish.....

Freezer Pickles

2 quarts sliced cucumbers
2 tablespoons. salt
1 large onion (sliced)
1-3/4 cups sugar
Â½ cup vinegar

Put cucumbers, onion, and salt in a large bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Drain well. Mix sugar and vinegar (that's the Syrup) and pour over pickles. Cover and refrigerate for 24 more hours.

Drain the pickles, but save the Syrup. Pack into freezer boxes. Pour the Syrup from the bowl of pickles over the pickles in the containers and freeze. These are really good and crisp.

MoochNNoodles · Jul 27, 2011

This is the huge zucchini I turned into all but 4 of the breads I made last night (plus another long; but more normal width one):

Look at my stove at 10:30 last night when I finally finished!:

Winchester · Jul 29, 2011

Nice, Mooch! Those are wonderful looking loaves of bread! How many is that? Twelve? What are you going to do with all of them? Are they all for the freezer or will you give some loaves away? They all look incredible!

Your little girl is a sweetie! She's so impressed with the zucchini! They are huge things, aren't they?

I love to see pictures of kitchens and baking. Thanks so much!

catmom2wires · Jul 29, 2011

Let me caution you all about even trying to use those overgrown zukes. They are seedy, fibrous and often bitter. Be sure and taste them first, or you can absolutely ruin a recipe! Also, late in the season, even small zukes can get bitter.

I try to pick mine when they are 4-8 inches long. Anything much larger than that gets tossed straight into the composter. There are always plenty of squash, and the nutritional value/appeal of the big ones is so low. They do, however, make great compost, or a pool toy for the kids (they float).

C

calico2222 · Jul 29, 2011

I was actually going to ask about the huge zucchini and the seeds. I like the large ones sliced thick and fried because I like the seeds fried. In fact, I have 2 bags of sliced "big" zucchini in the freezer and will probably get more since I'm getting a ton from co-workers. But, when you make zucchini bread, which I'm planning on trying for the first time this weekend, is it better to use smaller zucchinis or are the large ones ok? I'm assuming the seeds have to be taken out before shredding...how do you preserve the seeds to plant next year?

Leanne, you can freeze zucchini bread if you wrap it up well in handi-wrap then foil. My MIL does it all the time. You can also freeze sliced zucchini and shredded zucchini, just get the shredded as airtight as possible.

Hey, if you're doing SS this year, I would LOVE a loaf of that bread!!

Winchester · Jul 30, 2011

Originally Posted by CatMom2Wires

Let me caution you all about even trying to use those overgrown zukes. They are seedy, fibrous and often bitter. Be sure and taste them first, or you can absolutely ruin a recipe! Also, late in the season, even small zukes can get bitter.

I try to pick mine when they are 4-8 inches long. Anything much larger than that gets tossed straight into the composter. There are always plenty of squash, and the nutritional value/appeal of the big ones is so low. They do, however, make great compost, or a pool toy for the kids (they float).

C

Yepper, you're right! I try to be careful when using the "clubs" for those reasons. I did cut into a club and found it to be very fibrous and I threw it in the garbage....I didn't know they floated!

We've been trying to pick them at right around 8 inches or so, about the size I'd find in the grocery store. But I'm telling you, those buggers hide....and they hide well!

catmom2wires · Jul 30, 2011

If you want to preserve the seeds for planting, you should let one zuke grow undisturbed, and then remove it after the first freeze, or when the vine dries. Then keep it in a cool dry place and let it dry and then remove the seeds.

Or, you can simply pay 99 cents next year for a new packet of seeds when you're buying your other garden supplies!

I would assume you'd need to remove the seeds when using a huge zuke for baking. I've never used a big one.

C

lizzie · Jul 30, 2011

I went flea marketing yesterday and found a wonderful italian cookbook called "In Nonna's Kitchen" and found a wonderful zucchini soup recipe I will share.I haven't made it yet,but I will and I think it'll be yummy!

2 T. olive oil
1 onion,chopped
1 tomato,peeled,seeded and chopped
3 zucchini,diced
3 medium potatoes,peeled and diced
4 oz. green beans,ends trimmed and chopped to 2" length
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup torn basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
6 sliced toasted or grilled country bread
grated parmesan cheese

Warm the oil in a soup pot and saute the onion and tomato over low heat for 15 minutes.Add the zucchini,potato,and beans.Pour in the chicken broth,bring to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes.Addhalf the basil leaves,salt and pepper and cook another 3-5 minutes,til the vegetables are tender.Put a piece of the toasted bread in the bottom of each soup bowl,add the soup and a few of the remaining basil leaves,top with grated parmesan.

This soup is called zucchini soup with ribbons of basil.Enjoy!

calico2222 · Jul 30, 2011

Originally Posted by CatMom2Wires

Chocolate Zucchini Bread
1 1/2 cup shredded raw zucchini
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (45 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (we used Ghirardelli)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a loaf pan (9x5x3) with nonstick cooking oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer beat the oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract and coffee granules for about 2 minutes.

Add the shredded zucchini to the dry ingredients and then in batches add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; use a spatula to incorporate everything until just mixed. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for 55 â€“ 65 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the bread and then be removed clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

*** This works well made into muffins as well. Just adjust the baking time (about 20 min for standard muffins).

I made this tonight, and it is SOOOO good!! I forgot to get instant coffee so just added a bit more chocolate and a touch more vanilla and it turned out great. I bet the coffee adds an extra "bite" to it though, so since I still have over 2 cups of shredded zucchini, I'm going to make more tomorrow with coffee. It honestly tastes like a dark chocolate cake, so kids should love it. Thanks for the recipe!!

calico2222 · Jul 30, 2011

Here's another zucchini bread recipe I made tonight (Leanne, you inspired me! lol)

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
a lot of cinnamon (few teaspoons)
3 eggs (i always use large)
1 cup vegetable oil
"2" cups sugar (i use less than 2 and last time I still thought it was too sugary)
vanilla extract (2 or three teaspoons)
2 cups zucchini (yes use the skins just wash and grate)

grease pans

bowl 1:
flour
salt
baking powder
baking soda
cinnamon

bowl 2:
eggs
oil
vanilla
sugar

mix the two bowls

add zucchini

Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 mins.

This is a recipe I got from a friend, and it's a family recipe so it's kind of a pinch of this and a dash of that. That said, I used 2 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg, 2 1/2 tsp of vanilla. With 2 cups of sugar it is VERY sweet. I like it, but it's more of a dessert. You can probably cut the sugar back and it should be fine.

catmom2wires · Jul 31, 2011

Originally Posted by calico2222

I made this tonight, and it is SOOOO good!! I forgot to get instant coffee so just added a bit more chocolate and a touch more vanilla and it turned out great. I bet the coffee adds an extra "bite" to it though, so since I still have over 2 cups of shredded zucchini, I'm going to make more tomorrow with coffee. It honestly tastes like a dark chocolate cake, so kids should love it. Thanks for the recipe!!

Glad you enjoyed. I used 1 packet of Starbucks Via coffee the last time and it really enhances the chocolate flavor. A bit of cinnamon is good, too!

Winchester · Jul 31, 2011

Thanks for the recipes! Lizzie, I'm going to try you soup recipe tomorrow night for our Meatless Monday (well, meatless, except for the chicken broth).

I will be starting my Lime Pickles this afternoon. Had to buy more canning jars and I was all over the place looking for pickling lime. That was harder to find than I thought it would be.

I'm excited! (Sorry, but yes, I am!)

catmom2wires · Jul 31, 2011

I made Lizzie's soup recipe for lunch today! I used "No-Chicken" broth as I'm a vegetarian, and opted to have the bread on the side rather than soak it with soup in the bowl.

It was very tasty. The potatoes broke down a bit and thickened the broth. It's a very "sweet" soup with all the fresh veggies, so definitely needs salt and the parmesan cheese.

This is a fun thread!

lizzie · Jul 31, 2011

Ya know,I never even thought about the fact that there could be vegetarians here.I am sorry about that!I agree that this is a fun thread.We have awesome cooks here,and I think it's wonderful to share recipes.

MoochNNoodles · Jul 31, 2011

I did remove the seeds from it. All the breads were good; no bitter parts. I know one of my big gardener friends uses the large ones in baking and hasn't had any trouble. Maybe we've just been lucky. I've found I like zucchini bread best when it's made with brown sugar instead of regular white sugar. The breads I mad the weekend before last I used white sugar and they were ok; but these were better!

I brought 4 with me to visit family this weekend. I gave a summer squash one to a friend and the rest are in the freezer. I was going to give away another summer-squash one but that friend went out of town.

The Lemon and Lemon-blueberry ones were DELICIOUS!!!

Winchester · Aug 9, 2011

Originally Posted by lizzie

I went flea marketing yesterday and found a wonderful italian cookbook called "In Nonna's Kitchen" and found a wonderful zucchini soup recipe I will share.I haven't made it yet,but I will and I think it'll be yummy!

2 T. olive oil
1 onion,chopped
1 tomato,peeled,seeded and chopped
3 zucchini,diced
3 medium potatoes,peeled and diced
4 oz. green beans,ends trimmed and chopped to 2" length
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup torn basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
6 sliced toasted or grilled country bread
grated parmesan cheese

Warm the oil in a soup pot and saute the onion and tomato over low heat for 15 minutes.Add the zucchini,potato,and beans.Pour in the chicken broth,bring to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes.Addhalf the basil leaves,salt and pepper and cook another 3-5 minutes,til the vegetables are tender.Put a piece of the toasted bread in the bottom of each soup bowl,add the soup and a few of the remaining basil leaves,top with grated parmesan.

This soup is called zucchini soup with ribbons of basil.Enjoy!

This is delicious! I made it tonight for dinner. I halved the recipe and didn't use the olive oil to saute the onion and tomato. I didn't use the toasted bread because I had promised DH Apple Wheat Muffins. And I didn't use the salt; I used some Florida Seasoned Pepper from Penzey. But I did sprinkle of bit of Parmesan on the top of DH's soup bowl with a bit of the basil.

Oh, and the way I made it gave us about 7.5 cups total, so we have some leftover for Friday night's supper. I had about two cups of soup, without the cheese, with my muffin and I figure it was almost 200 calories per two cups. That's not bad at all.

Lizzie, thank you. This is a really good soup!

Zucchini Recipes

TCS Member

In the kitchen with my cookies

Thread starter

In the kitchen with my cookies

Thread starter

TCS Member

In the kitchen with my cookies

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

In the kitchen with my cookies

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

In the kitchen with my cookies

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

In the kitchen with my cookies

Thread starter