Bumblebee Blog

Bzzzz July 4th, 2007

This is a recipe I have probably made about 20 times now and uses up some of that profuse harvest of zucchini that we all have this time of year.

This recipe is also good for that overly-large zucchini from your garden that you don’t want to chuck into the woods. It is taken from Quick Vegetarian Pleasures, by Jeanne Lemlin. This cookbook won the coveted James Beard Award and is one of my favorites. EVERYTHING I have cooked from this book is wonderful. Buy it!

Zucchini, Tomato, and Swiss Cheese Pie

Note: If you aren’t accustomed to using fennel seed, go out and get some. You will find that it’s that "secret ingredient" that gives your vegetable dishes that gourmet flavor.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I have also used corn meal)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly slized (I have also used yellow squash)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (Don’t leave this out!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 pound grated or sliced Swiss cheese (about 1 1/3 cups) (I have also used cheddar or whatever is on hand)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (I usually forget about this)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using 1/2 tablespoon of the butter, grease a pie plate, then sprinkle the bread crumbs over the bottom and sides.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté 10 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes and sauté 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high. Mix in the zucchini, fennel seed, salt and pepper. Cook until the zucchini is barely tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool 5 minutes.
3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, then mix in the zucchini mixture. Pour half into the prepared pie plate, top with the Swiss cheese, then pour on the remaining vegetable mixture. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese all over the top and dot with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of the butter.
4. Bake 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.

As I write this, a thunderstorm is thinking about heading our way. We had six drops of rain. Call me a fatalist, but I am not hopeful that it will amount to anything–again. I have already spent 1.5 hours watering today.

Ciao!

–Robin (Bumblebee)

Posted In: Food and Recipes

Tags: vegetarian, zucchini

One Comment

Bzzzz July 3rd, 2007

Way back in February I happened on a cookbook entitled The Classic Zucchini Cookbook: 225 Recipes for All Kinds of Squash, by Nancy C. Ralston et al.

Thinking of my past summers with an over-abundance of zucchini (or zookanook, as my dad calls it), I quickly snatched it up. Then recently, I also noticed that there were NO copies of this handy cookbook at the local Barnes & Noble or Borders. (Local, in my case, being one hour away.) Obviously, I’m not the only one trying to figure out how to deal with all this zucchini!

And then just a couple of days ago, Carol at May Dreams Gardens was pondering what to do with her adorable cue ball zucchini. I posted a not-so-helpful, sketchy version of a recipe I now make all the time here at home. While I look for the version of the recipe that I have adapted and make from instinct and memory, I offer one of my FAVORITE recipes from the aforementioned book that you can use for all that abundance of zucchini!

Double Squash Cornbread Supper

Notes: Our little family TOTALLY LOVES this dish. The zucchini cornbread topping is so delicious, you can serve it all by itself.

Ingredients:

Cornbread Topping 2 cups grated zucchini 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 large eggs, slightly beaten 3/4 plain yogurt 1/4 cup canola oil

Chili Filling 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 onion, diced 1 red or green bell pepper, diced 2 fresh green chiles, such as poblano or jalapeno 1 medium-sized yellow summer squash, quartered and sliced 1 1/2 cups seeded and diced tomatoes (fresh or canned) 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, red kidney beans or pinto beans (home cooked or canned) 2 tablespoons cilantro salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions: 1. Start the cornbread topping by combining the grated zucchini and salt in a colander. Toss to mix well and set aside to drain for 30 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 3. To prepare the chili filling, combine oil, cumin and chili powder in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and chiles. Saute until the onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the summer squash and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the chili simmer while you finish the sopping. 4. To finish the cornbread topping, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well. Combine the eggs, yogurt and oil in a small bowl and mix well. Squeeze the zucchini to remove any excess moisture and add the flour mixture. Mix well. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until well combined. The batter will be lumpy. 5. To assemble the dish, remove the skillet from the heat. Evenly spread the cornbread batter over the chili, spreading it to the edges of the pan. 6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and firm. A tester inserted near the center should come out clean. 7. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving with a pie server or large spoon.

Bon appetit!

–Robin (Bumblebee)

P.S.

The love triangle was back this morning. I am worried that the female bird isn’t eating.

Posted In: Food and Recipes