Zucchine, or little squash in Italian, astonish us with the variety of different dishes that can be done with them. It seems as though every day I can find a different preparation, from savory to sweet. And lucky too because the rate at which it grows, I find myself scrambling to use it all up quickly. The other day I made Zucchine in 'scabece as they say in Rome - from the Spanish ceviche (or in Piemonte they say, in carpione - or marinated). This dish keeps well in the refrigerator up to a week or more because the vinegar preserves the zucchini well.
Marinated Zucchini
4 - 5 medium sized zucchini or one-two large
salt
canola or vegetable oil for frying
1/2 C. olive oil
1/2 C. wine vinegar
1 C. water
garlic - one or two cloves, chopped
1 onion (optional) - thinly sliced
mint or basil
1. Wash and dry the zucchini, then cut them into rounds - not too thick or too thin! Layer them flat in a dish and salt them. Cover the dish with another overturned dish and let them sit for at least an hour or until they have let out their water. This is an important step so that the zucchini won't become mushy when you fry them. Rinse the zucchini and dry them well with a paper towel.
2. Meanwhile heat up a skillet and add a thin layer of canola or vegetable oil. Make sure the oil is hot, but not smoking, and place the zucchini in the skillet so they are not touching each other. Quickly fry both sides and as soon as they are golden brown, take them out and drain them on a paper towel. Lightly salt them as they come out of the pan. Repeat until all the zucchini are cooked, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Drain the zucchini well, then layer them in a dish with a 1 inch border.
3. Optional: At this point you can fry the onions, making sure you don't brown them. Drain on a paper towel. If you don't like onions, you can skip this step.
4. In a separate pentolino, or pan, put 1/2 C. of olive oil and heat it until it is hot but not sizzling. Add the garlic. Cook briefly, then add the vinegar and water. Simmer for about 5 minutes and then pour it over the zucchini (and onions if you choose). The marinade should cover the vegetables. Add a handful of chopped mint or basil, cover and refrigerate. These are ready to enjoy in a few hours or overnight. Try them as an antipasto, with a good hearty cheese like asiago, some olives, good bread! Marinated zucchini are terrific in sandwiches!
Spicy
Zucchini Bread
This zucchini bread has a
subtle kick to it because of the chipotle powder and a twist from the usual
walnuts, a thin layer of sliced almonds on the bottom.
Ingredients you will need:
3 eggs
1 c. canola oil
1 ½ cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. chipotle powder
2 c. shredded zucchini
1 can (8 oz.) crushed
pineapple including juice
½ c. toasted sliced almonds
1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2.Grease and flour 2 5x9 loaf pans. Toast the almonds, cool
slightly and form a light layer at the bottom of the pan.
3.Combine all the dry
ingredients in a bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg and sugar until
light and foamy. Add the oil, and vanilla. Beat for few more seconds. Gently
combine the zucchini and pineapple by hand. Then add the flour slowly and stir
until well blended.
4.Divide the batter evenly
into the pans and bake in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour depending on your
oven. You’ll know it is done if you insert a toothpick in the middle and it
comes out clean.
5. Run a knife around the
edge of the pan, flip the loaf onto a wire rack and cool completely before
slicing.
