Zucchini

Maybe you're a fan of vegetables, maybe not.

If you've not had zucchini, you've most likely seen it in a grocery store. It looks similar to cucumbers. It can grow much larger, though. 

Most people pick them when they are young and tender. Maybe about 6" long. This is a nice size to slice lengthwise and grill or bake.

The easiest way, and probably the tastiest, is to make zucchini bread. In my house, we make chocolate zucchini bread. The family insists that it's cake, but whatever. It never lasts very long and they're eating veggies.

Here's a recipe that I've made. It's quite good.

I do peel the zucchini and shred it before using it in breads. I find the texture almost melts into the bread that way. No big chunks or weird textures.

 You can also sautee, roast, grill, stuff and bake, shred and mix in......lots of options for how to use zucchini. It takes on the flavors you add to it, so play around with it. 

I like to shred it and bag it with about 2 cups per bag. Then put it in the freezer. This makes for an easy addition to meals later. 

If you want to try stuffing a zucchini, this is what I do. I slice it in half lengthwise. You may have to trim a bit of peel on the bottom to get it to sit flat. Then, I scoop out the seeds and put those in the compost. My favorite filling is a mix of chopped ham, spinach, and cheese, all mixed with a white sauce. Fill up the zuke with that mixture and bake til the zucchini is soft. Maybe 10 minutes before it's done, I'll top it with some breadcrumbs or shredded cheese. Delish.