Zucchini, and what to do with it
This week I read about someone who makes lasagna using long zucchini slices instead of pasta, which sounds…interesting. And also a bit sacreligious. Personally, I’d prefer to supplement my lasagna with zucchini, not take away the carb-y goodness. But I do have a lot of zucchini, so I’m on the lookout for ways to use it up. Thus, last weekend I experimented with a zucchini tart, an idea my sister recommended; this week I worked on it some more, and here is the recipe, somewhat improved, in my opinion.
Zucchini Pie/Tart (depends on the pan you make it in, that’s all)
Filling ingredients:
- 1 large zucchini, or 2 small ones
- Feta cheese, either crumbled or slab (gorgonzola or chevre would work well also), about 6 oz.
- 3 onions
- 1/4 + 1/8 cup Jack or mozzerella cheese, grated
- 2 eggs
- 2 slices day-old French bread, dried
Crust
- 1 cup white flour (add a little whole wheat flour if you like)
- 5 oz. butter
- 3 oz. cream cheese
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1-3 tbsp. water
1. Begin carmelizing onions. Slice into thin rounds, about 1/2 or 1/4 inch. Spray frying pan with olive oil. Add onions to pan on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover. (This takes around 45 min.)
2. Crust: combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter and cream cheese using a pastry…thingy (what are those called?) until mixture is coarse, about the size of large peas. Add water 1 tbsp. at a time and stir until dough knits together. Refrigerate. (It’s okay if this is a bit moist.)
3. Slice zucchini — I’ve tried rounds and lengthwise slices, and very thin rounds are easiest.You can layer them better and they’ll cook faster.
4. Continue reducing onions until they’re golden and really limp, like overcooked pasta. If there is extra liquid, remove cover so it can evaporate.
5. Preheat oven to 400. Spray pie plate (or tart pan) . Remove dough from fridge and press into pan (since I’m not to be trusted with rolling pins, I don’t roll it out — just use my fingers to press it across the bottom and up the sides). Bake crust for 10 minutes, then remove and add filling.
6. Begin layering. This is how I do it, but any combo should be good: 1/8 cup cheese (optional; to keep any water from soaking into the crust from onions), zucchini, feta, onions, zucchini. Bake for 30 min. Beat eggs, remaining 1/4 cup cheese, and remaining feta with a fork. Add crumbled dried French bread and pour over the top. Bake for about 10 more minutes.
(edited direction No. 6 based on Pie No. 3 and its tough, inedible topping. 40 minutes is too long for cheese and eggs!)
Ooh, this looks delicious! Ter didn’t grow any zucchini this year, but we got a bunch from David’s parents. One of our favorite ways to eat it is to sautee it with onions and summer squash and then eat it in tortillas/wraps with cheese and salsa.
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It’s called a pastry blender. Thanks for the recipe. I might have to try a zucchini tart now.
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Fave zucchini dish is with yellow squash and tomatoes, all chopped up in chunks and thrown in with pot with large splash of sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste. I often add boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Sometimes serve over pasta or rice, to stretch, but rarely. It cooks down to half its original size, even al dente, so you need a fairly large pot to start with. Sooo easy, so healthy. Very pretty dish, too, all green and yellow and red. Zucchini and yellow squash can start cooking while you chop tomatoes, because the tomatoes need much less time. Covered pot softens it all faster, of course. I usually use half as many yellow squash as zucchini and tomatoes, but I don’t think the proportions actually matter. Whatever you’ve got, whatever you like.
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