Zucchini Recipes
It's zucchini time! Our garden is very generous this year when it comes to this versatile vegetable. Did you know that zucchini descends from squashes first domesticated in Mesoamerica over 7,000 years ago, but the zucchini itself was bred in Milan in the late 19th century? This tasty vegetable can be used in savory and sweet dishes. And even if I don't like "hiding" vegetables in desserts to make children eat produce, it is a good way to get more greens into your diet as most of us just don't eat enough vegetables (honestly, how many veggies did you eat today?).
This Zucchini Almond bread is my favorite summer treat as it combines veggies (you guessed it, zucchini!) and healthy fats (nuts and grass-fed butter or ghee). It is also gluten and lactose free (if you use ghee instead of butter). After baking, let cool and store in a beeswax wrap in the fridge. The wrap on the picture is homemade, a step forward on my way to zero waste lifestyle...
Zucchini Almond Bread
Ingredients:
1/3 cups plus 1 tbsp. / 56 grams of butter or ghee 1 1/2 cups/ 190 grams almond flour (spooned and leveled) 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp/ 32 grams arrowroot starch (spooned and leveled) 1 1/4 tsp gluten-free baking powder 1/4 tsp fine salt 3 organic eggs, room temperature 1/2 cup/ 110 grams coconut sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup finely grated zucchini squeezed of excess liquid 1 tbsp. lemon zest
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350/ 180 degrees. Butter a cake pan (round or square). Line with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together almond flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, lemon zest, vanilla and salt. Add zucchini.
3. Beat eggs with sugar and whisk until foamy. Add to the zucchini-almond mixture. 4. 4. Pour batter into pan and bake for 35 minutes.
Another great recipe for bread, this time, using einkorn flour and spices.
Zucchini spice bread
1/2 cup butter, softened, plus a little more for buttering the loaf pan
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 1/2 cup einkorn flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350° F. Butter a loaf pan well.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars, then add the eggs, vanilla, and shredded zucchini and stir to combine.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently to combine, being careful to not over mix. Stir in the nuts if using.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and bake for 55-65 minutes.
Pickled zucchini
Yes, you can pickle zucchini the same way you pickle cucumbers!
Ingredients
1 medium zucchini
½ cup water
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or sugar
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
20 twists of freshly ground black pepper
2 leafy sprigs of fresh dill, roughly chopped (about ¼ cup)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
Instructions:
1. slice the zucchini into thin rounds, for spears, slice them in half lengthwise, then slice the halves lengthwise into quarters, then slice the quarters lengthwise into eighths.
2. In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the water, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, red pepper flakes (if using) and black pepper. Stir until most of the salt has dissolved into the liquid, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside.
3. Place the zucchini into a wide-mouth jar, tall enough to offer at least 1 inch of extra space on top.
4. Top the zucchini with the dill and garlic. Tuck the bay leaf into the side of the jar. Pour the all of the liquid over the cucumbers so they’re fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (for pickle rounds) or at least 3 hours (for pickle spears). The flavor will continue to develop over the next couple of days. These pickles will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.