Collected Quotidian » sides

Zucchini Boats

Jana — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:15:03 +0000

Recipe names like this always make me think of the book Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. I bet somewhere in the town of Chewandswallow, amidst all the chaos, was a perceptive mother. She saw the signs of an impending Act of Food and so decided to just let that zucchini in her garden keep growing. While the rest of the townspeople eyed her strangely as they indulged in falling pie and fried chicken, she ignored them, confident in her knowledge of what was coming. Soon, it all changed. Pea soup engulfed the town. Stale bread filled the ocean. Meatballs fell from the sky. The rest of the town cobbled together peanut butter sandwich rafts that were doomed to water log. Meanwhile, this clever mother harvested her zucchini and herded her family inside, including the pet cat and Little Daughter’s fireflies. They were warm, dry, and well fed as their zucchini ark was tossed about the ocean. Having grown her family to safety, this woman now lives among us, smiling politely at our weak jokes about zucchini boats.

Not many of us have the luxury of using our overgrown squash to save our families. However, every summer, the frugal among us struggle to use up these garden mistakes. When my freezer is stocked full of grated zucchini, destined to become wintertime zucchini bread, I turn to this recipe to use my . . . uhhhh . . . corpulent squash. This is a basic recipe that has many variations. It is well suited to using leftovers or other excess garden produce. Tailor it to fit what you have on hand.

Zucchini Boats

1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
1 cup cooked grain, such as rice or barley ( I used buckwheat)
A drizzle of olive oil
1/2 and onion, diced
1 small thumb of ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 small handful of parsley
salt and pepper

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, scoop out the middle of each zucchini half, much as you would de-seed a cucumber. You want to have sturdy walls, but also make enough space for the filling. If the zucchini is not too stringy, you can add it in with the filling later or reserve it for another use (like zucchini muffins!). Carefully place the zucchini halves into the water. If they are too long, you may have to cut them in half. Return to a boil and cook for until they are almost tender, about 10-15 minutes. Take the halves out and let them cool. (This is a good time to be preparing you grain.) Saute the onion and ginger in the oil. Mix together your cooked grain and the onion ginger mixture. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Gingerly (Ha! Gingerly!) spoon the mixture into the hollowed out zucchini halves. Sprinkle on the bread crumbs and toast in a 200º oven (or toaster oven) for 10 minutes, or until everything is hot and the crumbs are golden brown and delicious. Using scissors, snip the parsley over the boat and serve.

The Squash Blossom Eaters

Jana — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 03:21:15 +0000

Oh. My. Goodness.
Now I understand.
People always get this crazy glint in their eyes when they talk about squash blossoms. And then they shake their heads sadly at me when they realize I am one of the uninitiated squash blossom eaters. Feeling like I was either missing out on a great snack or a great opportunity to make fun of foodies crazier than myself, I fried up some squash blossoms last night. And . . .
Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious.

What, you mean you’ve never eaten squash blossoms before? (Eyes widen in surprise while shaking head.)

The blossoms themselves taste faintly herbal with a delicate sweetness that comes from the nectar hidden inside. The batter makes it crunchy while the sea salt gives just the right zing. The petals seem to melt right into the batter — a fact that I loved but Mr. Quotidian wrinkled his nose at.

The recipe is easy peasy. The only trouble might be procuring your blossoms. Unless you grow squash yourself or know a farmer, you’re going to have a hard time finding them. They must be picked in the morning and wilt quickly. Luckily for all my Columbia friends, you have the hook-up. City Roots is selling these little gems for $5 a bag, which is about 10 blossoms.

A word about the batter: a true tempura batter would use sparkling water, but I used beer cause that’s what I had. So, I imagine any fizzy liquid would work. Next time I make them (oh yes, there will definitely be a next time . . . soon) I want to try stuffing them with goat cheese or something.

Fried Squash Blossoms

10-12 squash blossoms
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sparkling water or beer
2 cups peanut oil

Heat oil in a medium skillet to 350°. In a medium bowl mix the flour and salt together, then add the sparkling water or beer. Working in threes, dip the blossoms into the batter by holding on to the stem. Let the excess batter drip off. Fry in the hot oil until crisp, turning once, about 1-1/2 minutes. Lay out on a cooling rack turned upside down over old newspaper to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt. Devour immediately.

Mashed Potatoes

Jana — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:57:24 +0000

I just have one word of advise for this recipe: More. Always make more mashed potatoes than you think you’ll need. Not only are they a tasty (and thrifty) meal stretcher, but leftover potatoes can be turned into fried potato patties which are quite possibly the mother of all comfort food.

Yukon gold or russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 per person)
1/4- 1/2 cup milk
4-6 tbs butter
salt

The Proper Method:

Peel the potatoes if you wish. Cut them into equally sized pieces. Same size = same cooking time = no lumpy potatoes. Add the chunks to a big pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook potatoes for 15- 20 minutes. Smaller pieces will cook faster. After 15 minutes, start testing for doneness. They are done when you can crush them between tongs. Drain in a colander.

In the empty pot, place milk and butter. Set over low heat. When the butter has melted, add the potatoes and mash with a potato masher and hand blender. Serve immediately.

The Oh-No-I-Forgot-the-Potatoes-And-Dinner-Is-Ready Method

Cook potatoes as above, taking care to cut them into small pieces.

Drain potatoes and put back in pot. Add milk and butter. Mash as the butter melts. Throw pot onto table to serve.

*If you are worried your potatoes will get cold, cover the bowl with foil and put them in a low oven until ready to serve.