ZUCCHINI ARE WELCOME AT THE TABLE

Tommy C. Simmons, An enthusiastic cook
Photograph Tommy C. Simmons

I’m a zucchini squash lover. So if you live anywhere near Waleska, GA., and have too many zucchini coming in, send me an e-mail at [email protected] and I’ll gladly take a few zucchini off your hands. I started collecting zucchini recipes many years ago when we happened to have a bumper harvest of this popular summer squash and faced the challenge that many zucchini growers have – “what do I do with all these zucchini?”

I have not had luck freezing blanched zucchini slices; however, I have been able to freeze some of the zucchini dishes that I’ve cooked. The Zucchini Pie I’m sharing this month is one of those dishes that you can bake and freeze for later eating.

If you are buying zucchini, look for small to medium zucchini. Wash and cut off each end. For this recipe, I use a Ninja food processor to grate the zucchini into shreds and if the zucchini shreds seem too wet, I put the shreds into a colander to drain before mixing the squash with the other ingredients.

This is a lovely pie. Two slices of fresh tomatoes complete the menu. If you are going to freeze the pie, be careful not to overcook. Cool, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in a closeable plastic bag. Defrost in refrigerator and reheat individual slices in a microwave for less than a minute, or just until warmed through. It’s a pleasant supper dish that you’ll want to make more than once – I promise.

ZUCCHINI PIE
Tommy C. Simmons Home kitchen-tested recipe
Serves 6. Adapted recipe is from Real Simple magazine, September 2004 issue.

3 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
1 small sweet onion (such as a Vidalia or Texas 1015), chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. red pepper
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 cup grated Sargento Fancy Shredded Six Cheese Italian Blend
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tsps. chopped fresh basil
4 tbls. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan.
2. Spoon the zucchini mixture into a 10-inch round glass pie plate or metal pie pan that has been coated in vegetable cooking spray.
3. Bake at 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Posted July 18, 2014

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