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Zucchini: A Very Versatile Vegetable
An abundant summer squash, zucchini tastes great in both savory and sweet recipes.
Pickled, fried, oven-baked, steamed, nestled in a cheesy casserole or even baked into bread—zucchini is popular any and all ways during the summer months because of its affordability and abundance. When Grandma's garden starts to blossom with its hearty harvest of zucchini, she uses it to its full potential.
How to Select and Store Zucchini
When purchasing zucchini, choose ones that seem heavy for their size with shiny rinds. Bigger isn’t better when it comes to zucchini—small to average-size zucchini are tender, while those on the large side are more mature and tough. All summer squash such as zucchini and its sister yellow squash are quite delicate and perishable. Small punctures in the skin will cause the flesh to spoil rapidly, so take care to choose those with unblemished skin.
Store zucchini unwashed in the refrigerator in an air-tight container—it can keep for up to a week (although it’s probably best to use it within 3 days). When ready to use, wash under cool running water, cut off and discard (or compost) both ends, then prepare according to your recipe. While it’s possible to freeze zucchini after it's cooked, it’s not recommended—the flesh will become even softer and won’t be as tasty. But if you simply have too much zucchini to use up or give away, quickly steam (not boil) the zucchini before freezing.
Zucchini Flowers
The beautiful yellow blossoms that sprout from the zucchini plant are not only edible, they're a gourmet delicacy! If you’ve never tried them before, you’re in for a real treat. To prepare, rinse them under cold water and dry gently with paper towels. You’ll need to remove the stamen (which male flowers have) or pistol (which female flowers have) from the center of the bloom before serving—some cooks like to keep them intact during cooking to use as something to hold onto rather than injure the delicate petals, but the choice is up to you.
If you’re wondering how to cook zucchini flowers, well, they’re just about as versatile as the zucchini squash itself! Try them in a number of traditional ethnic recipes: They’re fantastic when folded into the cheesy filling of Mexican quesadillas or dipped in batter and deep fried (either stuffed with cheese or unstuffed) for a classic Italian-style fritter. They’re a short-lived delight, so enjoy them while you can, either from your own garden or from your local farmers' market stands.
The Sweeter Side of Zucchini
Zucchini isn’t just a side dish. It also adds extra moisture and gives great texture to baked goods like quick breads, cookies and cakes with a minimum of calories. So you can have your cake and eat your vegetables while you’re at it—it's a great way to sneak veggies in for the kids! If you haven’t tried baking with zucchini, try out one of Grandma's favorite recipes like Chocolate Zucchini Cake or Zucchini Bread. You can also tightly wrap and freeze these baked goods to enjoy when summer is over and you start to miss all that plentiful zucchini.
