What's Fresh This Week?

July 8 - 13

Zucchini

Zucchini is the vegetable that often gets confused with cucumbers. Unlike cucumbers, zucchini is a variety of summer squash that is often green but can also be yellow or orange. Zucchini is another one of those vegetables that's actually a fruit, because it bears seeds, which are visible when you slice it in the middle. The seeds are soft and edible so they don't have to be removed when cooking, although you may want to remove them if you're using the zucchini to bake. The zucchini, in its current form, has been around since the 1800s when it was bred from earlier forms of summer squash that were domesticated over 7,000 years ago. Zucchini is a low calorie food that boasts a significant amount of vitamin C (1 serving provides 14% of daily requirement) as well as moderate amounts of vitamin A, folate, potassium and manganese. It can be used as one of many mixed vegetables in pasta sauces and tacos. They can be used in soups and stews and usually included in the famous French soup, ratatouille. But they can also be the stars of the show when baked and used for zucchini bread or muffins.

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients

2 large zucchini

1 ½ tsp sea salt

2 large eggs, or egg replacer, beaten

½ cup chopped scallions (green onions)

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp ground black pepper

Olive oil, for sauteeing

Optional for sauce: sour cream, lemon, dill, or favorite herb

Preparation

1.        Wash zucchini and trim off ends. Grate zucchini using a box grater and place in a bowl with 1 tsp sea salt and let sit for 10 minutes.

2.        After 10 minutes, squeeze the water out of the zucchini in sections using a cheese cloth or dish towel. Transfer into a large mixing bowl.

3.        Add the scallions and eggs to the zucchini.

4.        In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, ½ tsp sea salt, baking soda, and black pepper. Combine with the zucchini mixture.

5.        Place 2 Tbs olive oil in a large cast-iron or other large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini mixture in a heaping tablespoon into the pan and flatten. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

6.        Serve with sour cream or plant-based sour cream. Add a squirt of lemon and dill to the sour cream to brighten the flavors.

7.        Enjoy!