August 8 is National Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbors Porch Day.  You could join the celebration, or you could use your zucchini in any of these many many ways.

Botany Nerd

Last week we shared, “Zucchini are an Italian squash, just like the name sounds. They were bred in around the turn of the last century (1900’s) from seeds of a squash variety imported to Italy from southern Mexico.” Yes, Mexico.  So yes, growing, cooking, and using soft skinned squash have been a Southwestern tradition for many centuries.

Using Zucchini

Three things about these recipes.

Big zucchini does not mean un-usable zucchini. Last week we shared one easy way to use up those extra large zucchini that escape detection until they are bigger than the ones in the supermarket that have become sterotypified as what a zucchini should be. Zucchini Fritters (not “fritters” in the modern sense – more like gluten-free vegetable pancakes).

Zucchini recipes can also be used for yellow summer squash – and have been in some of our images. Mexican grey squash can also be used. The flavor tends to be a bit sweeter.

Gad-zukes! The SEO Analyzer had a total melt-down about how many times I used the “key word” zucchini, so I call it “zukes” in some places.

Zucchini Flowers

Since it is a member of the squash family, you can use the blooms to make Stuffed Squash Blossoms (on this site). Here’s our YouTube Video on Making Stuffed Squash Blossoms.

Simply Sauteed

Even that statement is not simple. Saute is just a fancy way of saying “fry.”

Fry up slices or chopped zucchini with other vegetables. If presentation matters, make a fancy dish out of it. If you are a hungry homesteader who has worked hard each day – just jumble it up and serve it. In these pages I often call it “stir fry,” even though I never use a wok. Just do my stir fry in a large and somewhat elderly cast iron fry pan.

Zucchini Planks

Cut the long way, into “planks” there are many ways to use this squash. How depends on the thickness of the plank.

Grilled Zucchini

Cut in quarter inch tick planks, rub with some oil and spices, and grill. Zucchini with Zing. Doesn’t have to be planks, it can be rounds.

Zucchini Curl-ups

That’s what we call them anyway. Cut zucchini into eighth inch planks, then they can be curled up around other things. Used raw they are a sort of little wrap, or just eaten plain.

You can make these curls by cutting with a knife, or with a nice sharp carrot peeler. These can then be used as a base for a fresh summer salad of zucchini, yellow peppers, fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella balls.

Dipped in our luscious Honey Vinegar Dressing, take your thin slices of zuke and curl them up loosely. Then hold the curl together with a toothpick. These curls make a pretty little tapas dish. Or to an antipasto dish. Or one of those charcuterie boards. Whatever you call it in your home – makes for some fun summer snacking.

As kids, Dad called this “snack plate” and it was one way to get hungry kids to eat their vegetables while dinner was being made. But in those days of swamp coolers and no air conditioning, in the heat of summer, sometimes dinner was just snack plate. It was to hot and sticky to turn on the stove.

Food Nerd Shares

Why charcuterie boards all of a sudden? I think its a blend of a few things.

There is the cute and artful presentation, since so many people take pictures of their food these days and share these images with total strangers on social media.  

No silverware needed! Finger food. We are so used to snacking, or eating out of fast food wrappers now days. The notion of not using cutlery makes life easy. So – less dishes to wash too.

Charcuterei is not just at home. What used to be considered a fancy “meat and cheese board” is now culinary staple for gatherings, catered events, and restaurant menus.

If you’re still wondering how you should say this French term, it’s pronounced shahr-KOO-tuh-ree.

Make Raw Fancy

Thin slices of zucchini marinated in lemon juice for a few minutes and serve with cooked shrimp. “Can’t get full on fancy,” as our hero Kent Rollins says. But by golly, the presentation sure is pretty.

Zucchini “Noodles” & Shreds

Noodle your zukes into long skinny ribbons. There is a tool for this, but you can easily also do it yourself.

Start as if you were making quarter inch planks out of a zuke, but don’t cut all the way through. Leave the planks connected to the zuke. Now take a potato peeler to these “almost planks.” You can noodle the whole thing in moments. The leftover piece at the bottom can be chopped and added to the broth bucket. (Broth Bucket post is on the way.)

Noodle Salad

Use the noodles to make a cold spaghetti salad. Dill enhances the flavor.

For some protein, a boiled egg goes well with chopped pepper, radish, and zuke noodles. Here pomegranate has been sprinkled on top but mine are not ripe yet. For many people, the secret to making this tasty is in the dressing. I like the vegetable flavors, so some salt and pepper are enough for me, but I was raised eating fresh vegetables. If nothing else, store bought ranch dressing should make it tasty for most.

Zuke & Tomato Salad

Or go “Country Style” with your salad and simply chop the zukes into small pieces along with tomatoes, onions and pepper. Add pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and sunflower seeds for protein. Add dressing and allow the flavors to blend for half an hour. Cut small enough, most people simply assume you have used a cucumber in this dish.

More Ideas

Zucchini noodles can be used for traditional spaghetti

Pizza with zucchini.  Oh yes!

Pasta with zukes

Ratatouille.  Yes, it’s supposed to be eggplants peppers and tomatoes, bur why not add some zucchini.

Cream of Zucchini Soup – post to come.  It turned out well but now I will make it again and take photos.

Stuffed Zucchini

Slice a larger zucchini open and scoop out the seeds. Fill with things like cooked chicken, rice, chunks of sauteed tofu and onion, whatever. Add a tiny splash of moisture, cover, warm on low for about 10 minutes.

You could also do this in a casserole dish in the oven. Top with cheese. Serve with Chimichurri Sauce.

Baked Zucchini

You could bake it into a casserole. Top that sucker with enough cheese and I guarantee you it will get consumed.

Or chop it into our Dilemma Pie. It’s a keto-friendly quiche.  Our YouTube on Dilemma Pie.

Feel Free to Freeze

Freeze those zucchini! Not whole though. It’s best to shred them first then freeze flat in freezer bags.

We are trying to reduce microplastic uptake into our body – so I freeze flat on a cookie sheet, then place the shreds into a freezer bag. This is said to somewhat the plastic getting into the zucchini.

Use Frozen Zucchini

SO many ways.  But really it loses its texture so the vegetable fritters are good. 

Or maybe our favorite chocolate zucchini bread that we trade with friends at Christmas for some tamales.  

Use your acorn flour and make some chocolate zucchini muffins.  Everyone just thinks they are made with whole wheat flour.

Can Zucchini

As pickles. As a vegetable they don’t make a very palatable dish.

Zucchini Pickles – post to come.

Zucchini Mustard Relish, our favorite. We go through about a gallon a year. Post to come.

So MANY Ways

You could feed zucchini to your rescued reptile. Yes, the picture shows a Mexican grey squash but this tortoise likes any squash. He especially likes the seedy ones, which should tell us something. More nutrition perhaps?

Or chickens. Feed the big seedy ones to chickens.  Then you get to eat the eggs!

Last but not least there is always the compost pile.

But I sure hope we have given you more than enough ideas that you will not resort to this!