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Zucchini Extravaganza--delicious ways to use up all those late harvest zukes

 

If you are like me, your kitchen table has a couple large zukes sitting there waiting to be eaten or used in some creative dish--other than simply cutting it, sauteeing it in olive oil with onions, and serving it as the obligatory end-of-summer side dish.

Here are three new dishes--or new twists--using zucchini.

Chickpea and Zucchini Pancakes

This recipe is the mother recipe for five different types of ethnic tastes. Depending on the type of herbs and spices you incorporate, you can create an Italian dish (by adding fresh basil, garlic, and chives), a Greek dish (by adding rosemary and lemon juice, and topping it with creamy yogurt), a Latin American-inspired dish (by adding crushed cumin, coriander seeds, and a hint of granulated garlic), a French dish (by infusing Herbes d'Provence to the batter), and a Middle Eastern inspired dish (by incorporating curry powder, garam masala, and chili powder).

Incorporate 4 cups of shredded zucchini, a teaspoon of kosher salt, 1 cup of chickpea or garbanzo bean flour, the herbs and spices of your choice, and a hint of water, if needed.

Mix all of the ingredients except the water. Let the bowl stand for a couple of minutes before deciding to add some water, as the liquid in your grated squash might be enough to make a nice batter. If not, then add water or lemon juice to moisten the batter. If you like a fluffier-style batter then you can add a whipped egg, which will, when cooking, fluff the batter a bit and serve as more of a binder.

This recipe makes two large pancakes, if grilled in a large non-stick fry pan. But use plenty of olive oil.

I like to eat these as is, with a bit of seasalt added at the end, or as a foundation for grilled vegetables, oven dried tomatoes, or grilled pork sausage. It's a marvelously economical, nutritious, versatile, and delicious recipe.

 

Zucchini and Corn Chowder with Lobster or Shrimp

Versatility and ingenuity are the key words for this recipe. I developed it because my end-of-season zucchinis tend to have lots of seeds and a tougher skin, making them a bit more challenging to work with than their early season cousins. So, I needed a recipe that could use some toothy bite and a bit of dark green crunch.

If you scoop out the seeds and remove any bitter flesh, then nice dice the zucchini into half-inch cubes, you'll have a nice ingredient to use that juxtaposes the soft and creamy corn, butter, cream, onion, and lobster. It's a nice counter to the rich and delecate ingredients that are also used for this dish.

Start with plenty of sweet cream butter (not that inferior salted stuff) and gently sweat one chopped onion. Don't brown it, please. When sufficiently softened, add your zucchini cubes and corn off the cod, either fresh or frozen. This is when I add a couple splashes of white wine (something good), two teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves (lemon thyme adds a fresh zing in this dish), and ground black pepper. Please do not add salt at this time, as it will only toughen the zuke skins. Have some patience!

Give the mix a couple drizzles of extra virgin olive oil and then add a quarter cup of all purpose flour. Heat the mixture for five minutes making sure not to brown the flour, then add 3 cups of fish stock. If you do not have any on hand, chicken stock works fine as well. (Here's a hint: if you ever buy raw shrimp, save the shells and boil them with water, celery, and salt to make a superb fish stock.) When this thickens, add your shrimp or lobster and cook until the fish is done. Then, finish with cream or half-and-half, a couple tablespoons of butter, and salt to taste.

 

Zucchini Frisbees topped with lots of delicious stuff...

I love to cut zukes into thin disc-like shapes, dust them with seasoned flour, and pan fry them in olive oil like my grandmother used to do. Sometimes, if I am hungry for a crisp, chip-like texture, I cut them extra thin and fry them until they are almost dark brown, and then dip them into whatever type of sauce I have on hand. During this time of year, I always have homemade ketchup in the refrigerator (spiced warmly with allspice, celery seeds, and ground clove) and local goat cheese, which (yes, indeed!), when done right, makes for a superb taste!

My son loves these (at least he did two weeks ago), and since I named them "frisbees" he laughs at the association.

You see, when you fry something in olive oil, and you are not used to eating a lot of fried food, like most of us, it becomes extra satisfying and cubs your appetite rather quickly.

Make sure that you salt them from above (like hold your fingers a foot above the freshly fried zuhinnin frisbees and pinch the salt on them) for an even and light seasoning.