Farmer's Market Meal: Ace's Adventures with . . . Zucchini

More zucchini, of course! Every dinner (and some lunches) this last week have involved zucchini in some form. We are definitely taking advantage of the fact we can get 3 pound zucchinis for $0.50 each right now. Some vegetables we will buy fresh and freeze. For instance, when we have been able to find bell peppers at the grocery store 3 for $1 we bought 8 or so peppers. We washed them, removed the seeds, chopped the peppers, and placed them in freezer bags, which got tossed into the freezer. These frozen vegetables work great for stir-fry and other dishes. Zucchini is so delicate that we are eating it fresh and will not be freezing any.

I tried a new recipe the other night: zucchini pancakes. Sounds weird, right? Well, the recipe referred to them as zucchini patties and I did not realize I had pancakes until I had a bowl of shredded zucchini with fresh black pepper in pancake batter ready to go into the skillet. Turns out, zucchini pancakes are not bad. This particular version was rather simple but I think a little grated onion and minced garlic would do wonders. I think the savory pancake has potential. If you are curious, here is the original recipe post. The only change I did was to use a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet. Any more than that, and they turned out rather oily.

Zucchini Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 whole egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1 tablespoon grated cheese, such as Parmesan
Oil to fry

1. Mix ingredients together until combined.
2. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add batter by large spoonful.
3. Cook until golden brown then flip and cook the second side until golden brown. Best served hot.

Z. made a very nice dinner of pasta with zucchini and white wine the other evening, which I was also able to enjoy for lunch the next day.

Pasta with Zucchini and White Wine, serves 2

2 servings of your preferred pasta
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/4 cup white wine *
1-2 tablespoons butter

1.  Bring water for pasta to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/4-1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a high-sided skillet. Add onions and season with salt. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook until done, about 3-4 minutes.
4. When vegetables are done, add pasta, pasta water, white wine, and butter to the onion mixture and stir to mix thoroughly. Season with pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes if desired.

  * We used chardonnay this evening because that was what I had opened last weekend. I prefer cooking with sauvignon blanc. I find sauvignon blanc to have a slightly more complex flavor than chardonnay that stands up better to the heat of cooking.