06 July 2007
The temperatures are climbing again, and my desire to stand in front of the stove is fading. I feel as though meals like this make up my 'natural' diet:
Fruit, almonds, a bit of bread and cheese -- you can't go wrong. I love to experiment with new dishes, but I'll happily take fresh, simple, and well-rounded any day of the week. Do you have meals like this? Things which just seem as though you're 'meant' to eat them?
I had a good harvest today, including the last crown of broccoli, which I'm planning to have for lunch. I've left all four plants in the ground, with their tops chopped off, and they've started growing individual florets down the stems. Bonus!
I also forgot to mention that I made that zucchini cake I hinted at the other day:
In place of butter and oil, I used the equivalent weight in mashed avocado. And the results? Great! I wound up giving away most of the cake, because I was afraid that it wouldn't stay good for more than a few days. Even though the avocado is baked, of course, it just seems more likely to go off than regular sources of fat. The flavour doesn't come through at all, what with the cocoa in the cake, and the finished product wound up being dense and moist. I will try to slap together a proper recipe for it soon.
Also, I need more (savoury) zucchini recipes. Any favourites?
whoa, avocado eh? what a great idea.
posted by connie at July 6, 2007 06:11 PM
i've had a cake like this! (except, of course, we call it courgette cake) it's well delicious (ooh i sounded very 'youth' then).
i love a courgette lengthways-sliced, lightly fried on both sides until very brown and a bit crispy, especially when piled on toast, or with some pasta, and a little bit of goats cheese.
posted by hazeljoy at July 6, 2007 06:34 PM
I have a great courgette recipe I discovered recently when my aunt made it as part of a buffet - I think it's French, a bit like a gratin but without the cheese.
Chop up and fry an onion (red is good) and a couple of cloves of garlic until soft. Slice a couple of courgettes into 0.5cm circles and fry them until they go a little bit black on both sides. Spread the onion mixture over the bottom of an overproof dish then overlap the courgette circles in rows over the top. Bake at around 180C for 20 or so minutes. It is really tasty. Another variation is to slice a smallish tomato and either alternate with the courgette circles or just slot a few slices in at random for colour and flavour. I've made the courgette-only version but my aunt served it with the tomatoes and it was lovely both times!
When I first went to the US on my own I asked the people I was staying with if they had courgettes in America and they had no idea what I was talking about, expecially when I tried to describe them. Simultaneously I was studiously avoiding any food with 'zucchini' in it, convinced it would be some kind of strange sausage or something! Needless to say, I finally worked out my mistake and lived happily ever after! x
posted by Cara at July 6, 2007 10:38 PM
One of the Moosewood cookbooks has a lovely recipe for zucchini feta pancakes. It's sort of a lighter potato pancake-like thing. But the thing that I really like is that there's some mint in there too. But it involves frying so you might not want to try that right now!;)
posted by Kait at July 7, 2007 12:52 AM
When I find my Turkish cookbook I will let you have a recipe for grated zucchini mixed with flour and onions and maybe bell peppers and herbs, formed into balls and fried.
My boyfriends mum used to make them and they were unbelievably tasty, terribly fattening but so delicious I would eat as many as she would make.
posted by cally at July 7, 2007 11:35 PM
I have two favorites, the first is Korean and not terribly healthy, but very tasty and the second is my go-to recipe when I want to throw a vegetable dish on the table that is quick and tasty:
Fried Korean Zuchini
Slice as many courgettes/zuchini as you'd like into thin rounds ('bout half a centimeter or so in width-thinner is better) lay them out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a little salt, this brings out the water.
After about 15-20 minutes, shake off the water and dredge them lightly in flour mixed with a little salt and pepper, dunk in a bowl of a beaten egg thinned with a little water and then fry until golden on each side in a little vegetable oil. Let drain on a plate covered with paper towels while finishing up the rest of the batch. It's better to do these a few at a time otherwise they get overly dredged in the flour and too battery. The eggy part should be light and not taste heavy. Serve with soy sauce.
Zuchini with Garlic and Basil
Slice the zuchini however you like as long as they are fairly consistent in width. Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a pan, add a clove of crushed garlic (add more if you like your food garlic-y). Sautee briefly and add courgettes. Sautee over medium heat and when a little water appears from the courgettes, add a teaspoon of chicken stock (I use Better than Boullion, you can add whatever you like in the quantity that suits your taste) until courgettes are cooked through (just a little past firm, but not so cooked that they are mushy). Add chopped fresh basil or dried and toss in pan so that all the flavors are evenly distributed. Sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and salt (only add salt if you like your food salty and/or you opted not to use the chicken stock). Serve and enjoy! I also sometimes add some cracked red pepper as well to give it a little kick.
posted by jean at July 7, 2007 11:53 PM