Zucchini In Season

We've had fun cooking with zucchini this week!  So far, we've cooked zucchini  in 6 different ways, and we have run ourselves dry.  We expect to have more zucchini in our garden soon, so I may add another zucchini blog down the road.

Our favorite zucchini meal this week was Zucchini Feta Pasta - soooo simple, healthy, and delicious!  I highly recommend it.

Zucchini Feta Pasta

Zucchini Feta Pasta

• 1 zucchini, chopped thin
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4t. salt
• 2T. olive oil
• 1lb. pasta of your choice (I used whole wheat bow ties)
• feta cheese
• salt to taste

Saute the zucchini, onion, garlic, salt, and olive oil together over medium heat until zucchini is browned.  Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to directions.  Drain the pasta and return to pot.  Add in the zucchini mixture and toss well to combine.  Top with feta cheese and toss well again.  Salt to taste.  Serves 4.

Greta and I made Zucchini Cake on Tuesday morning.  While I was making the cake, she was using my Grandma Evelyn's 63 year old Cuisinart while I was mixing ingredients with my Grandma's bowls.  I had this strange feeling she was with us that morning.

Greta runs the antique Cuisinart while I mix and chop zucchini.  Somehow the iPod looks out of place!

The cake was delicious but was loaded with calories (my guess is to disguise the taste of the zucchini).
None-the-less, the cake was delish and stayed moist for 5 days.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

Click on the link above for the delicious recipe!  This picture is taken on one of my Grandma's plates.  I always admired the plates and I'm happy be able to use it!

Next I made another delicious, completely healthy Zucchini Banana Muffin.  Yum!!

Healthy Zucchini Banana Muffins

Zucchini Banana Muffins

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1/2c. loosely packed brown sugar
• 1t. vanilla
• 2c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2t. baking soda
• 1/2t. baking powder
• 1/2t. salt
• 1T. cinnamon
• 1/2t. ginger
• 2c. shredded zucchini

Cream the bananas, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla together.  In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients except for the zucchini.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet.  Blend until just combined.  In a small strainer, squeeze out the water from the shredded zucchini.  Add the zucchini to the mixture and combine well.  Scoop the mixture into a greased muffin tray.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean.  Makes 12 muffins.
Note: these are not overly sweet muffins.  If you want yours sweeter, up the amount of sugar.  They are, however, very soft and moist and delicious!  Bonus: they come out to about 120 calories, which is pretty great for a decent-sized muffin!

I found this recipe from the blogger GirlEvolving which is a blog I really love.

Last but not least, we grilled the first zucchini that came into our house and of course it was fab (everything grilled tastes good).



Grilled Zucchini



Greta and I were so hungry for the zucchini, that I could not even let it cool off.  While I was taking the picture the lens kept fogging up.

This week I've also added zucchini to our spaghetti sauce and to our lasagna.  Great way to add veggies to our meals.


Our house is still under construction, so if I'm not working I make sure I get the kids out of the house (Greta, Chad and I  have all stepped on a nail - ouch).  Anyway, the highlight of the week was our trip to Pattison State Park, Manitou Falls, and Amnicon Falls.  Now, why did we visit all in one day?  Because our State Trail Pass was good for an entire day (up until 11 p.m.) and I guess I wanted to save $7.00.   Anyway, we had a picnic at Pattison Park using a tablecloth identical to one my Grandma Evelyn owned (I found this one at a Thrift Shoppe).  We had cucumbers from our garden, fresh green beans from our garden, and Zucchini Cake.  What a great day!!



Next up:  refreshing summer soups with seasonally available ingredients!!