Glen Arbor Sun

All my life I’ve had to put up with over-large zucchini. I feel that it is time that I speak out. I have done my best to crusade for a ban on monster zucchini, to stop their sale, at least in Leelanau County. I know you may think them harmless, but the large, tough ones take up space at the dinner table that young, tender zucchini might have filled. I grumble to farmers and curl my lip but, alas, I am ignored.

We need zucchini standards. Maybe we can follow the lead of fishermen, but in reverse: any zucchini over 1/2 to 1 inch wide gets tossed back into the garden. I’m hoping to organize a group to educate farmers. I might call it Friends of the Small Zucchini.

Zucchini are part of the family of summer squash. It seems, though, that there is no clear dividing line between squash. In The Classic Zucchini Cookbook, author Andrea Chesman notes that, “From a culinary perspective, the relevant difference among these squashes is how mature they are when we eat them. Summer squash is eaten when immature, before its seeds develop. Winter squash and pumpkins are eaten fully mature, after seeds and a hard shell have developed.” Farmers take note: we eat zucchini when they are i-m-m-a-t-u-r-e.

Although squash is a New World food, zucchini arrived in the U.S. via Italy. In the mid-19th century, a zucchini precursor spread throughout Europe, especially England and Italy, from South America. After World War II, home gardeners fell in love with zucchini and its generous bounty.

Summer squash come in many exciting varieties, colors and shapes. Some of the more common squash include: chayote — pale green with a tough skin and one seed, cocozelle — with raised ribs, crookneck, yellow summer squash, Middle Eastern zucchini — fat and short, pattypan — like flying saucers, globe zucchini, Zephyr — yellow with green-dipped bottoms and classic zucchini. All taste better picked small and young.

Don’t overlook squash blossoms. Although the male blossoms produce nothing while the females produce a little baby summer squash or zucchini, you may stuff, tempura, stir-fry or slice and garnish soup with both types of blossom.

I’ll admit, there is a strange kind of beauty to a huge yellow submarine squash or a dull, forest green nuke-sized zucchini. But I warn you, don’t let yourself be lulled into buying one of them unless you plan on using it for a table arrangement. Sure, it’ll feed a multitude, but at what cost to your culinary reputation?

Squash Tips
• Pick them young and tender.
• Sliced or diced summer squash tend to bitter quickly with exposure to air, so don’t let them sit. Oil them or seal them in a plastic baggie.
• If you want to soften your zucchini (and eat them raw) or reduce the liquid, toss the cut zucchini with a little Kosher salt and let them sit for 10 to 20 minutes. Blot them dry and proceed with your recipe.
• Don’t peel zucchini and summer squash. The skin has wonderful nutrients and fiber. Scrub them if they are waxed or buy unwaxed organic.
• One pound of summer squash yields about 4 cups sliced or diced and 3 1/2 cups grated. Mix different colors of summer squash and zucchini for a more dramatic look to your dish.
• Herbs and squash are natural partners — pair basil, dill, rosemary and thyme for striking flavor combos.

Indian squash and green chili
Adapted from I Hear America Cooking by Betty Fussell
6 servings

1 1/2 tablespoons each: extra virgin olive oil and butter
1 large onion, finely diced
6 medium-small yellow squash or zucchini, diced 1/4 inch
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 ears corn, kernels removed
8 ounces fresh, roasted and seeded or canned diced green chilis
1 cup grated Monterey Jack, Muenster or sharp Cheddar cheese

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy skillet. When it is hot, add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the squash, salt and oregano and cover the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes and remove the lid. Add the corn and chili and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and scrape the vegetables into a serving bowl. Toss vegetables with the grated cheese while hot.

Trout with rice, zucchini and pine nuts
4 servings

1 cup cooked short-grain brown rice
2 teaspoons finely grated orange or lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, lightly chopped
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced or shredded zucchini
4-small whole trout, gutted with head on

Preheat oven to 400F or grill. Stir together the rice, zest, parsley, pine nuts and salt to taste. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet and sauté the zucchini until it exudes moisture and then begins to dry. Fold the zucchini into the rice. Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning.

Divide the stuffing evenly between the fish. Place the trout onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper for the oven or onto a length of foil for the grill. Oil the outside of the whole fish with the remaining oil. Roast or grill the fish until done, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

You may stuff squash blossoms with this mixture. Pick the flowers early in the day and keep them chilled in the refrigerator wrapped in damp paper toweling in a ziplock bag. Before you stuff them, pull out the stamen inside the flower and slice off the stem or baby zucchini (you may leave it on). Rinse and drain the flowers — ants love them. Gently stuff them with the rice mixture (or a meat-rice mixture) and lay them in an oiled baking dish. Drizzle more olive oil over them, cover the pan tightly and bake them in a preheated 400F oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

Chilled zucchini thyme soup
Adapted from The Classic Zucchini Cookbook by Andrea Chesman
4 to 6 servings

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup finely diced onion
4 cups diced zucchini
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan and cook the onion over moderate heat until soft but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, broth and thyme. Cover and simmer them until the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until it is smooth, adding the buttermilk if it is necessary for pureeing. Scrape the soup into a serving tureen and stir in the remaining buttermilk. Season soup with salt to taste. Chill the soup and serve it cold. Make this soup early in the day and eat it the same day.

Grilled squash curls
6 to 8 as a party appetizer

2 medium yellow summer squash or golden zucchini
2 medium zucchini
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Wooden skewers

Heat your grill or a cast-iron grill pan. Slice the top stem and bottom from the squash. On a mandoline or Japanese slicer, slice the squash the long ways from stem to tip about 1/16th to 1/8th inch thick. Lay the slices on a sheet pan and paint both sides with olive oil. Salt one side liberally. Lay the slices onto the grill or grill pan and cook just until you see the zucchini slice become transluscent and take on grill marks, about 30 seconds to one minute. Turn it and do the same on the other side.

Remove grilled slices to a plate and finish the remaining slices. Wind each slice onto a wooden skewer—they should undulate like that Christmas ribbon candy—with the wooden skewer through the middle. Serve as a cocktail hors d’oeuvre.
©2002 Nancy K. Allen, CCP