Ingredient: Zucchini
Zucchini
- Description
Zucchini is a dark or light green summer squash. Zucchini can grow to be very large but are picked before they reach that point. Zucchini grow on a sprawling vine and have an edible flower as well.
- Preparation
Zucchini can be eaten both raw and cooked, skin on or skin off. The flower of the zucchini can be eaten as well. Zucchini is most often used cooked. You can steam, boil, grill, stuff, bake, fry and many more methods to use these very versatile vegetables.
- Varieties –
There are 10 varieties of zucchini. Most commonly you will find the solid green zucchini but there are also striped, and even golden yellow zucchini. You may be tempted by the largest zucchini, but they are sweetest and most tender when they are small.
- Storage-
Store your zucchini in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to a week. Zucchini need air as to not create moisture in the bag and become slimy, so be sure the bag is only loosely tied.
- Nutrition- Vitamin A, C, D, B-6, B-12, calcium, iron, magnesium
Zucchini and summer squash can be cut into “noodles” with a veggie peeler (those of you with spiralizers-here’s a great opportunity!)
Save your ends and seed-filled middles in the fridge. When you have enough, try a variation of scrappy pickles, such as this one by Rachel Ray!
Recipes Using Zucchini
Zucchini Coffee Cake
Cream cheese is used in this great zucchini bread to keep a really moist treat. The cinnamon swirl is a welcomed treat!
Farmer Jamie’s Zucchini & ‘Cado Soup
This simple recipe from Farmer Jamie takes only a few minutes to blend before an hour of chilling in the fridge. The ingredients are a bit flexible, parsley can replace cilantro, chives can replace scallion, and ground coriander can replace crushed coriander seeds. Other than that, yogurt and chili powder are the only additions you need to your farm fresh ingredients!