Bonne gourde: how to make the most of the zucchini season from donuts to zoodles – recipe
Come summer, whether you're a market gardener, strolling through farmers' markets, or looking for store deals, it's all coming zucchini or zucchini, depending on who you ask.
Depending on how much heat you apply, how much acid or salt you add to break it down, or how much starch you bind it with, zucchini rests on a continuum of freshness and density. Its spongy texture and fairly neutral flavor mean that its role in a dish is less to enhance taste and more to help build body. Just call him Arnold Gourdzenegger.
The Alice Zaslavsky Method for Better ZoodlesSome people are wary of spiralized zoodles, but I remain proudly curious about zoodles. My favorite way to use them is as half and half – half actual pasta or noodles and half zucchini. This way it lightens the carb-to-veggie ratio, adds more color to your dish, and provides a delicious interplay of al dente and al squash-ente.
Some people blanch the zoodles, but I prefer boiling them. Put the zoodles in the colander that is about to catch your cooked pasta and pour the contents of the entire pot over it. Toss with the olive oil and your pasta sauce and serve.
If your dish is all zoodle, just pour a kettle of boiling water over it to scald it. Pouring your hot sauce over the raw zoodle will give you an al-dente result.
Spiralizers don't have to be heavy electrical accessories either. My favorite kind is like a giant pencil sharpener, with two straps to choose from. Always choose the widest noodle for scalding and save the leaner version for spiral zucchini pieces to toss into stir-fries, fritters or salads. For salads, the acid in your dressing will "cook" the noodles just enough to soften them.
Speaking of softening with a sour, marinating zucchini slices turns them into little sponges for all the flavor you add. My buddy's mom, Margaret, won first prize at the Maldon show with this zucchini pickle with mustard, so you might have similar success. Use a crinkle cookie cutter to create funkiness, or slice on a mandoline about 2mm thick.
Makes 3 250g jars
1 kg medium-sized zucchini, washed and sliced 500 g medium-sized salad onions, minced 2 cups white vinegar (500 ml) ½ tsp ground turmeric 2 tbsp coffee curry powder 2 teaspoons mustard powder (Margaret uses Keen's) 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon corn flour 1 cup raw sugar (220g)
Sauté the zucchini and onion in a large sauce...
Come summer, whether you're a market gardener, strolling through farmers' markets, or looking for store deals, it's all coming zucchini or zucchini, depending on who you ask.
Depending on how much heat you apply, how much acid or salt you add to break it down, or how much starch you bind it with, zucchini rests on a continuum of freshness and density. Its spongy texture and fairly neutral flavor mean that its role in a dish is less to enhance taste and more to help build body. Just call him Arnold Gourdzenegger.
The Alice Zaslavsky Method for Better ZoodlesSome people are wary of spiralized zoodles, but I remain proudly curious about zoodles. My favorite way to use them is as half and half – half actual pasta or noodles and half zucchini. This way it lightens the carb-to-veggie ratio, adds more color to your dish, and provides a delicious interplay of al dente and al squash-ente.
Some people blanch the zoodles, but I prefer boiling them. Put the zoodles in the colander that is about to catch your cooked pasta and pour the contents of the entire pot over it. Toss with the olive oil and your pasta sauce and serve.
If your dish is all zoodle, just pour a kettle of boiling water over it to scald it. Pouring your hot sauce over the raw zoodle will give you an al-dente result.
Spiralizers don't have to be heavy electrical accessories either. My favorite kind is like a giant pencil sharpener, with two straps to choose from. Always choose the widest noodle for scalding and save the leaner version for spiral zucchini pieces to toss into stir-fries, fritters or salads. For salads, the acid in your dressing will "cook" the noodles just enough to soften them.
Speaking of softening with a sour, marinating zucchini slices turns them into little sponges for all the flavor you add. My buddy's mom, Margaret, won first prize at the Maldon show with this zucchini pickle with mustard, so you might have similar success. Use a crinkle cookie cutter to create funkiness, or slice on a mandoline about 2mm thick.
Makes 3 250g jars
1 kg medium-sized zucchini, washed and sliced 500 g medium-sized salad onions, minced 2 cups white vinegar (500 ml) ½ tsp ground turmeric 2 tbsp coffee curry powder 2 teaspoons mustard powder (Margaret uses Keen's) 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon corn flour 1 cup raw sugar (220g)
Sauté the zucchini and onion in a large sauce...
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