Zucchini takes on a life of it’s own in the summer time. Excess of this veggie is often found mysteriously left on neighbors porches or front car seats as generous gestures of neighborliness, and we love it!!
A versatile vegetable that gets a bad rep for being bland but the beauty of that means you can do SO much with a it.
When sliced, 1 medium zucchini yields about 1 to 1.25 cups and it has very little shrinkage so simply seasoning with something delicious like our Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Seasoning or our Citrus Grill Seasoning and you have a quick and easy and delicious side dish!
How to keep your zucchini & squash crisper when cooking? “Crosshatching” or “scoring” your zucchini is a start! By lightly scoring the squash with a sharp knife in a crosshatch pattern, tossing them with some Kosher salt, letting them sit for 20 to 30 minutes, and then patting them dry with a paper towel. The reason to do this is to help infuse the vegetable with flavor and to remove excess moisture, which will help in getting some nice color when cooking. If cooking smaller zucchini then leave them whole, but if you use larger, more mature squash then it might be beneficial to remove some of the core with the seeds as it can be pretty watery.
After the vegetable has been prepped, then you’re ready to sear the squash in a hot skillet, toss it on the grill, or roast it in the oven.
It’s ability to adapt to sweet dishes as well as be a semi-thickener in baked goods makes this vegetable almost iconic! Simply use your cheese grater (the big hole side) to shred and 1 medium zucchini will give you about 2/3 cup of tamped down zucchini.
Shredded Zucchini also freezes fabulously!
This is great for using later in baking (like zucchini bread & cookies) and for casseroles or soup, especially during the winter months when we are longing for more ‘green’ on our grey winter days.
And did you know Zucchini is so healthy for you! Rich in vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds. It may offer several health benefits, ranging from improved digestion to a lower risk of heart disease. Zucchini may aid your bones, thyroid, and prostate.
August 8th is National Zucchini day, so here is hoping the Garden Fairy leaves a delish pile of zucchini on your front porch this year!
Checkout some of our recipe ideas:
Tip & pic from the fab delish site The Hungry Hutch
How To pic from EatWell
Health Benefits of Zucchini from Lybrate