Think Outside The Zuke
What to do with runaway zucchini? You know, those squash that hide in the foliage. Today they're as big as your index finger. Tomorrow they've become baseball bats.
Use those large zukes as a pasta substitute. Slice them ultra thin (a mandoline really helps for this), lenghtwise, working from each side towards the middle. Discard the central core and seeds.
Use those slices in lieu of the pasta to make a vegetarian lasagna. Or they can sub for pappardelle in many recipes.
Divide the slices into thin strips, blanch until tender, and top with your favorite pasta sauce. Zucchini linguini is a whole new taste treat.
Oversized zukes also work well in recipes that require shredding. The classic, of course, is zucchini bread. But try zucchini patties as a side dish, or zucchini croquettes.
If you're a home canner, the larger ones can be used to make pickles. There are specific recipes for zucchini pickles. But, in point of fact, you can substitute zucchini for cucumber in virtally any pickle recipe. Try bread & butter pickles made with those oversized cukes.
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