Zucchini

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Yeah- some really cool ideas, KYH!

I love zukes and yella crook-necks. My Mom used to slice them, toss in seasoned flour and pan fry in clarified butter- oh so yummy! She also cut the zukes into sticks did the flour-eggwash-Italian breadcrumbs thing and then sprinkle parmesan on them when fished hot outta the grease. Talk about delish!

I have just a tiny container garden out on my condo patio this summer (which is the most growing I've been able to do in years!) but I remember as a kid our huge garden yielded SO many of everything! We did everything we could to utilize and keep from wasting, but I remember towards Fall many squash the size of a man's leg from the knee down, were allowed to get hard bumpy and were eventually tilled into the dirt after Halloween... I love zucchini bread and muffins... I may try that chocolate zucchini cake this year- something tells me I'll be hooked!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Yeah Janie we sneaky old gals rock!!! I loved reading that you got Jon to eat zuccini how totally cool I can understand how he would not like the broccoli in pot pie, as it is a rather strong and over powering veggie when cooked. As Mama mentioned try fried eggplant but remove the skin, he will like it, just slice super thin!!! What you are doing is attempting to help him develope his palate for the tastes of these veggies very gradually, over time you may cut the slices just minute degrees thicker and see how he tolerates the tastes and textures, just go slow and gradual as to not turn him off. after all he is a grown man with his likes and dislikes in place, what you are attempting to do is to help him learn new tastes and hope he enjoys them. You know in time (I believe I mentioned this before) you can gradually build on the fried veggie theme take fried eggplant for instance(if it turns out that he likes it) and top it with marinara and parm cheese and broil it until cheese is brown and bubbly and serve with pasta and more marinara, and wa-la he may love it and there you have him enjoying eggplant parm.! Like you said he can take the spinach in lasagna, in time increase the spinach amounts gradually.

I am so happy for Jon that he likes fried zuccini, ya' done good gal!!! He is lucky to have you, as I am sure he already knows or he would not have given you his last name

[KYHeirloomer]

So, yesterday we made one of our round-robin shopping trips to Lexington. When possible, on those journey's, we eat at a small Turkish restaurant hidden away behind St. Josepth's Hospital, called Istanbul Palace. Usually we have the buffet.

This time it included fried zucchini. But better than any I had eaten before. I told Friend Wife they reminded me more of latke-style potato pancakes, rather than breaded and fried slices, as they were crispy on the outside, soft and tender in the middle. "Try them especially with yogurt sauce," the proprietor advised. Which we did. And he was right: delish.

So, checking my copy of A Taste of Turkish Cuisine (Nur Ilkin and Sheilah Kaufman, Hippocrene Books) I find Kabak Mucveri---or, in English:

Zucchini Fritters

2 zucchini, peeled and grated
3 spring onions, greens and whites, finely chopped
6 sprigs fresh dill, finely chopped
5-6 springs fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
6-7 sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup crumbled white Turkish cheese or feta cheese
3 eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tbls all purpose flour
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil for frying

Squeeze the grated zucchini to remove any excess juice and place in a large bowl. Add the onions, dill, parsley, mint, cheese, eggs, flour, salt and papper to taste to the zucchini. Stir to mix well.

Place the oil in a skillet and heat. Drop zucchini mixture by large tablespoonfulls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown onoone side, then turn over and continue cooking until the other side is also golden brown. Before dropping each batch, stir the batter. (This is a trick that insures the fritters won't be watery). Drain well on paper towels.

The Turkish yogurt sauce that goes with fried veggies couldn't be simpler. Crush two cloves garlic in a mortar with about a teaspoon of salt and mix into a cup of yogurt.

Apropos of nothing, while on our shopping tour came across some very nice snapper filets. So that will be tonight's dinner, made simply by broiling (or grilling if I work up the ambitions) with a hint of toasted cumin and corriender seeds.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

A slow-simmered Marinara is another one of those things I enjoy making in the crock-pot. I prefer the slow cooker mainly because my range and back-splash are white and I hate the miniscule red/orange splatters from the bubbling sauce that explode all over hell when I lift the lid to stir and taste throughout the day...

[KYHeirloomer]

Just before you joined us, Chubby, there was a longish thread on marinar sauce: Marinara Sauce.

Maybe you'd like to repost this as part of that discussion.

When I was growing up, all the Italian families I knew had two kitchens. The regular one, upstairs, and one in the basement specirfically for making sauce "because it's so messy." Uh, huh. If you every visited one of those basement kitchens, though, you could eat off the floor. And there was nary a spot on the walls, cooktop, or nearby cabinets.

Personally, I think those red dots add to the decor.

[jglass]

Have to try the crockpot next time.
Thanks for the tip.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Cool story about the hidden basement "sauce kitchens" KYH! (also- just posted my original paragraph at the marinara thread as u recommended- thanks!)