Amazing Things To Do With Zucchini, Tomatoes, More
Zucchini and other types of
summer squash are members of
the Cucurbitaceae family along
with melons and cucumbers.
They are distingished from their
cousins known as winter squash
butternut, acom, hubbard, but
tercup and Turk’s turban because
they are havested at a immature
stage when the skin is still soft
and edible. Squash are native to
America and were introduced to
European colonists by Native
Americans.
Zucchini are mostly water and
include few calories and minimal
amounts of vitamins. However,
according to the Wellness Ency
lopedia of Food and Nutrition,
they do provide small amounts of
vitamin C and folacin. In combi
nations with other vegetables,
they help you to include the rec
ommended three to five servings
of different vegetables in your
diet each day. Zucchini sticks or
slices can be enjoyed raw with
dip or added to tossed salads.
Sauteing or stir-frying zucchini
alone or with other mild-flavored
summer vegetables can be a
quick and easy way to add them
to your menu. They also are a
tasty addition to tomato sauces
or pasta dishes.
William Scepansky, corporate
chef for Kegel’s Produce in Lan
caster, has created these tasty
recipes for “Simply Delicious”
Pennsylvania zucchini.
SIMPLE SAUTEED
ZUCCHINI
With only a few ingredients
and about 15 minutes of work,
this dish explodes with the
bright tastes of summer. Serve
warm as a wonderful accompa
niment to lighter summer fare,
chill to enjoy as a crisp, re
freshing salad or combine with
your favorite short pasta and a
little prosciutto for a simple yet
elegant main course dish.
3 each zucchini, ends removed,
sliced 'A-inch thick
Vi each onions, Spanish, medi
um diced
Vi each peppers, red, seeded,
medium diced
2 tablespoons olive oil, extra
virgin
1 teaspoon salt, kosher
Vi teaspoon pepper, black,
freshly ground
12 each basil, leaves, rough
chopped
In a large saute pan over medi
um-low heat, sweat onions in
olive oil, without browning, until
sweet and translucent Add red
peppers and continue to cook
until peppers are bright in color.
Turn heat up and add zucchini.
Season generously with salt and
pepper. Toss well and saute until
zucchini are al dente and just
starting to brown on edges. Fold
in freshly chopped basil. Makes
8-10 servings.
COOL ZUCCHINI SOUP
WITH FRESH DILL
This soup is only finshed
with cream if desired at all and
gets its otherwise creamy quali
ty from the potato and onion
thickened base. It is excellent
served hot or cold. Try this
technique with other vegetables
in place of the zucchini, such as
spinach or asparagus for other
healthy options.
3 each zucchini, ends removed
'A each onions, Spanish, peeled,
cut into chunks
1 each potatoes, Russet peeled,
cut into chunks
6 cups stock, chicken or vege
table
1 teaspoon salt, kosher
Vi teaspoon pepper, black,
freshly ground
1 bunch diU, fresh, top half of
bunch
Heavy cream, optional as
needed
Olive oil, extra virgin, optional
as needed
Sour cream, optional as needed
Lemon, juice of, optional as
needed
Place potatoes, onions, salt and
pepper in a heavy bottomed stock
pot that is large enough to hold
all of the ingredients. Peel zucchi
ni and save peelings for later.
Add zucchini to pot. Add stock
and bring to a boil. Reduce to a
simmer and continue to cook
until all veggies are tender, ap
proximately 45 minutes! Remove
pot from heat and add zucchini
peelings and dill. Immediately re
move pot from stove and place
into a sink filed wth ice water in
order to chill pot down rapidly
and stop the cooking process.
Once completely chilled, careful
ly puree in blender till smooth.
Adjust seasonings with salt and
pepper and serve as is or whisk in
optional heavy or sour cream just
before serving. Garnish with a
dollop of low fat sour cream, a
squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle
of olive oil, a few turns of the
pepper mill and a sprig of dill if
desired. Makes 8-10 servings.
STUFFED ZUCCHINI
PROVENCAL
Excellent as an accompani
ment to any entree and visually
stunning on a buffet, these easy
to make, packed full of flavor
gems are sure to be a favorite!
This preparation would be an
ideal match for Rack of Lamb
or other fuller flavored meats.
2 each zucchini, trimmed, cut
into three 2-inch lengths ea
1 each shallots, peeled and
minced
'A each tomato, beefsteak,
small diced
1 each garlic, clove, minced
'A teaspoon thyme, fresh pick
ed, leaves only
3 each olives, Kalamata, pitted
and chopped fine
/i tablespoon wine, white, dry
'A cup Panko or Japanese
breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon romano cheese,
grated
Salt, kosher as needed
Pepper, black freshly ground
as needed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Using a small spoon or melon
bailer, carefully scoop out all but
outside '/4-inch of zucchini sides
and bottom creating a cup. Re
serve half of guts and chop small.
Save the rest for other use. In a
small saute pan, over medium
heat, sweat shallots and garlic in
olive oil till shallots are translu
cent and garlic is aromatic. Do
not brown. Add reserved chop
ped zucchini guts and cook until
soft. Add olives, tomatoes and
thyme and increase heat. Saute
briefly and deglaze with white
wine. Simmer to cook off alcohol
and remove from heat. Fold in
breadcrumbs and cheese, reserv
ing a tiny bit to sprinkle on top
later. Gently mix and check for
seasonings. Divide mixture even
ly and stuff into zucchini cups.
Return to same pan. Cover loose
ly with tin foil and bake at 400
degrees F for roughly 1 hour or
till zucchini is just tender. Sprin
kle tops with small amount of
cheese and broil for 2 minutes,
just until tops are lightly brown
ed and crispy. Garnish wth small
sprig of fresh thyme leaves, some
extra olives, and a drizzle of olive
oil if desired.
Kenneth Ward, of Hulmeville,
won first prize in the Pennsylva
nia “Simply Delicious” Vegetable
Quick Bread contest for the fol
lowing recipe at the 2001 Penn
sylvania Fair at Philadelphia
Park.
ZUCCHINI-BLUEBERRY
BREAD
3 each eggs, room temper
ature
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cup zucchini, grated
3 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon
dash nutmeg
'A cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup blueberries, fresh cleaned
and dried
Beat eggs lightly. Add oil,
sugar, zucchini and vanilla and
mix lightly. Sift in dry ingredi
ents. Blend in walnuts and blue
berries. Pour into two greased
9xS-inch loaf pans and bake at
325 degrees F for 60 to 70 min
utes or until done in the middle.
Charlene Aber of Columbia
Cross Roads won first prize in
the Pennsylvania “Simply Deli
cious” Vegetable Quick Bread
contest for the following recipe at
the 2001 Tioga County Fair.
PINEAPPLE-ZUCCHINI
QUICK BREAD
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups zucchini, grated, peeled
13-ounce can pineapple, drain
ed, crushed
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
'A teaspoon baking powder
1 /i teaspoons cinnamon
Vt teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts, chopped
Mix eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla
together until thick and creamy.
Spoon in the zucchini. Add the
remaining ingredients and mix.
Pour into two greased 9x5-inch
loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees
F for 1 hour.
Leading food and medical au
thorities recommend eating three
to five servings of vegetable each
day. Fresh tomatoes provide an
excellent source of vitamins and
minerals. In fact, one medium to
mato supplies over 40 percent of
the daily allowance of vitamin C
and 20 percent of vitamin A plus
potassium All with only 35 cal
ories.
William Scepansky, corporate
chef for Kegel’s Produce in Lan
caster, has created the dried to
mato recipe:
EASY OVEN
DRIED TOMATOES
These tomatoes are cooked
slowly, for a long period of
time, concentrating the natural
sugars and intensifying the ripe
tomato flavor. Excellent as a
side dish or added to pastas or
pizza creations.
12 Roma tomatoes, large and
ripe
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Vi teaspoon granulated sugar
'A teaspoon 5 Peppercorn
Blend, freshly ground
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Vi teaspoon rosemary, fresh,
chopped fine
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Halve tomatoes lengthwise and
trim off core. Place tomatoes in a
large non-reactive bowl and add
remaining ingredients. Toss well
and place tomatoes, cut side up
on a roasting rack over a baking
sheet. Place in middle of the
oven. Slowly roast until tomatoes
are semi dried and beginning to
brown on the edges. Serve hot or
cold! Makes six-eight servings.
The following recipe by Pat
ricia Schry of Elwood City won
first prize in the “Simply Deli
cious” Vegetable Quick Bread
Contest at the 2001 Hookstown
Fair:
TOMATO ONION
BACON BREAD
1 pound (I 1 /: to VA cups) toma
toes - peeled and seeded
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Vi teaspoon garlic powder
1 onion - large, chopped and
caramelized with 1 teaspoon salt
added
4 slices bacon - cut fine, cooked
well done
2 tablespoons basil - fresh, cut
fine
1 tablespoon parsley - fresh,
cut fine
Process tomatoes in food pro
cessor for one minute. Add eggs
and sugar and process one min
ute. Add oil and process one min
ute. Add buttermilk and process
one minute. Add dry ingredients
and pulse four times. Add cara
melized onion, bacon, basil and
parsley and pulse two times. Fill
a 9x5-inch and 4x5-inch bread
pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for
one hour for 9xS-inch pan and 32
minutes for 4xS-inch pan.
Pickle Is More
(Continued from Page B 6)
half. Remove spice bag. Fill hot
sterile jars with hot mixture,
leaving '/2-inch headspace. Ad
just lids and process half-pints or
pints for 5 minutes.
SPICY MELON
CANTALOUPE PICKLES
3 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 sticks cinnamon
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon slivered whole nut-
meg
13 cups 1-inch cantaloupe
cubes or balls
4'A cups sugar
Combine vinegar and
water in a large sauce
pan. Tie spices in a spice
bag and add to vinegar
mixture. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer
five minutes. Remove
from heat. Add melon,
let stand VA to 2 hours.
Add sugar to melon mix
ture. Bring to a boil,
stirring sugar to dissolve.
Reduce heat and simmer
45 minutes or until can
taloupe becomes slightly
transparent. Pack hot
melon into hot jars, leav
ing 'A-inch headspace.
Ladle hot pickling liquid
over melon, leaving Vi
inch headspace. Remove
air bubbles. Adjust two
piece lid. Process 10 min
utes in boiling water can
ner.
Yield: about 7 half