Got (tons of) zucchini? Ways to use it all without getting bored
Zucchini grows big and fast in Saskatchewan, leaving some gardeners with houses bursting at the seams.
Although the vegetable is in abundance, new ideas for ways to cook them are not always as plentiful.
Chef Becky Ross is the co-owner of Camp Cookhouse and General Store, a restaurant in Elkwater, Alta., with a focus on local food.
To keep zucchini from going stale in the minds of local cooks, she shared some fresh preparation ideas with CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend on Sunday.
Size matters
Ross said there are two lines of thinking when it comes to zucchini. While some gardeners like to let the vegetables grow very large, others prefer the smaller zucchini for their fresher flavour.
Ross said she preferred the younger zucchini because they were well-suited to raw salads.
"People often don't think of zucchini as being able to eat it raw but it's a way that I really enjoy so I make a lot of really great salads with using it totally raw," she said.
"But when you get into the longer in the tooth zucchini you need to get into soups, braises, relish is a really great way to use up the really old ones."
Ross said ratatouille, zucchini loaf and minestrone soup were also great recipes for older zucchini.
However, to mix things up, she shared a raw zucchini salad recipe to try at home.
"It's an unexpected salad," Ross said.
"I think when people eat it they think ... this isn't going to be good but it's very summery, super delicious and very, very easy to make."
Recipe: Fresh almond zucchini salad
Ingredients:
- Fresh zucchini, green and/or yellow, preferably smaller
- Chives
- Fresh oregano
- Olive oil
- Lemons
- Toasted almonds, chopped
- Fresh ricotta
- Black pepper
Method:
Slice the zucchini in half length-wise and cut thin half-moons. Dress with olive oil and season with salt. Toss with lemon juice, finely cut chives and picked oregano. Top with home-made or store-bought ricotta, toasted almonds and cracked black pepper to taste.
