Stove Top Grilled Zucchini

Pecorino cheese is tangy and salty and perks up zucchini, especially grilled on top of the stove.

RECIPE HERE

Zucchini Fritters

A party favorite, zucchini fritters will become a summer tradition.

RECIPE HERE

Roasted Zucchini with Pecorino and Toasted Almonds

I was actually served this dish in a restaurant years ago on a food blogging tour.

RECIPE HERE

Zucchini Turned into Zoodles with Shrimp

This will make Wednesday night feel fancy and it’s low carb, healthy, and delicious.

RECIPE HERE

Oven Baked Zucchini Fries

Panko is ground pork skins and if you’re craving fries, this will do it.

RECIPE HERE

Ciambotta, an Italian Summer Stew

Make double. You will get addicted to this summer comfort food. This recipe is from childhood.

RECIPE HERE

Linguini with Zucchini

An Italian classic that not only uses zucchini in a sophisticated way, it stretches the budget and satisfies the pasta cravings.

RECIPE HERE

Yellow Squash Bacon Frittata

This frittata is one of my favorite summer dishes, which can sit in as lunch or dinner. The sweetness of yellow squash mergers perfectly with smoky bacon.

RECIPE HERE

Corn Zucchini Stir Fry

This combo is a great side taking advantage of summer veggies that won’t be around in a few months.

RECIPE HERE

Bonus Zucchini Recipes

• Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies with Honey (no nuts)
• Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Orange Basil Frosting
• Magda Zucchini Bake
• Italian Summer Vegetable Soup

Make the Best of Summer Veggies

Summer doesn’t last forever, so I hope you get out to the farmer’s market this weekend and buy your local produce from neighboring farms. FYI, I am selling my keto bakes at the Nolensville Farmer’s Markets on Saturday.

The post Zucchini Recipes for Summer appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This key to this soup is time, slowly cooking a medley of zucchini, onion, squash, green beans, a variation of peppers (some mild, one hot) in a large can of San Marzano tomatoes. Of course the other key ingredients are olive oil, and basil.

This is more of an idea of recipe than an exact recipe. I was out to use up all the summer vegetables purchased at the Farmer’s Market.

Ingredients

• 6-8 zucchini, yellow squash
• 1 large can san marzano tomatoes
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 banana peppers
• 1 red chili pepper
• 3 cups green beans (optional)
• 1 large onion
• olive oil
• salt, pepper
• basil
• Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese
• 4 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

This Italian Summer Vegetable soup is perfect comfort food in hot weather. This is even more delicious with a generous helping of freshly grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread as this soup is great for dipping.

Variations for Italian Vegetable Soup

You can make this a more complete meal for the family by adding the following.

• Add 2 cans white beans.
• Add 2 cups small macaroni.

More Vegetable Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Italian Summer Vegetable Soup

Zucchini, Squash, Peppers, Onions, Green Beans and Tomato, a perfect medley for summer vegetable soup.

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword vegetable soup

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Ingredients

• 6 zucchini and yellow squash cut crosswise
• 1 large onion large dice
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 red chili pepper or banana peppers
• 3 cups green beans trimmed and cut in half
• 1 large can San Marzano Tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• basil
• Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
• 1 quart boxed broth (chicken or vegetable)

Instructions

Preparation

• Cut ends off zucchini and yellow squash. Use a variety. Keep in mind yellow squash tends to stay more in tact than zucchini, so do use some. Cut across about 1/2 inch thick.
• Trim ends of green beans and cut in half.
• Peel and dice onion.
• Seed peppers and cut into large dice. I like using green bell pepper for this soup, but you can include red bell pepper. Use one pepper than has some heat like banana pepper or red chili pepper.
• Tomatoes: Use your hands to squeeze the tomatoes into a bowl and have them ready to add to soup.

Soup

• Heat oil in large pot. Add onions, peppers and soften for a minute or two. Add in remaining vegetables except green beans. Add Tomatoes and broth, salt, pepper and seasoning. Cook on low for one hour. Then add in green beans and cook for one more hour. Serve with more basil and grated cheese.
• Slow Cooker: You can put everything into a slow cooker on low for 4 to 6 hours, if need be. You can add more broth or water if it's too thick.

The post Italian Summer Vegetable Soup appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This reminds me of my mother so much because she made the best ciambotta and she would pronounce it with an Italian accent, (Chumbotta) even though she was American born. I am so grateful for the simple Italian dishes I grew up on that used the fresh local vegetables of summer.

Once you eat this dish, you’ll make it again the next week. My husband ate three bowls last night, with some freshly made sourdough bread.

Ciambotta is typically made with zucchini, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes, and is similar to a French ratatouille, but is much thicker and more of a main dish than a side dish. I purchased the zucchini, peppers, potatoes and sourdough at the farmer’s market where I sell my keto bakes.

I used zucchini, green pepper, and potatoes purchased at the farmer’s market. I added onion, garlic, basil and a large can of Cento plum tomatoes. Sometimes I add in green beans, but I didn’t do that this time.

Add Left Over Meatballs or Sausage to Ciambotta if You Need Meat

If you happen to have some cooked meatballs or Italian sausage, you can always add those in, once the stew is done. However, we love this just as is.

Chop the zucchini into discs. Slice the onions and peppers into slivers. Saute onions, garlic and peppers in olive oil for about five minutes. Add zucchini. Saute another five minutes. Add in the can of tomatoes with a half can water, (more if needed). Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes. Add diced potatoes, cook for another 45 minutes on low or until potatoes are cooked. Add in more fresh herbs when ready. Serve with crusty bread, more olive oil and pecorino or parmesan cheese.

Similar Summer Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Stovetop Grilled Zucchini
• Italian Eggplant Stew
• Watermelon Gazpacho
• Linguini with Zucchini Sauce
• Garden Fresh Tomato Bisque
• Ribollita (Tuscan Soup)

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Ciambotta, and Italian Summer Stew

An Italian summer stew made with zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, green pepper and onion.

Course Stew

Keyword Ciambotta, Italian Stew, Summer Stew

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic sliced
• 1 large onion
• 6 zucchini
• 1 green bell pepper
• 28 ounce Italian San Marzano Tomatoes
• 6 yukon gold potatoes peeled, quartered

Instructions

Prepare Vegetables

• Slice onion into slivers.
• Seed and slice green peppers into slivers
• Cut zucchini cross-wise into discs.
• Peel potatoes and cut into large bite-sized pieces.
• Peel and thinly slice garlic.

Ciambotta

• Saute onion and green pepper in olive oil for five minutes. Add in garlic and keep stirring for a minute, careful not to burn garlic.
• Add in zucchini. Sauté for five minutes, continuing to stir.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add can of tomatoes, squeezing with hand. Fill the can halfway with water and add.
• Add in potatoes. Simmer for the next 50-60 minutes on low until potatoes are cooked through.
• Add in stems of thyme and basil.
• When done add in more torn basil. Serve with grated pecorino or parmesan.
• Serve with more olive to drizzle if desired.

The post Ciambotta, an Italian Summer Vegetable Stew appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

If you’re wondering what to do with zucchini, I have a new recipe for you and some old recipes to show you the versatility of zucchini.

Grilled Zucchini Recipe Stovetop to Oven

The zucchini is split down the middle, cut crosshair style, brushed with garlic olive oil and grilled on top of the stove. Then switched to the oven to make sure it softens. Once out of the oven, it’s sprinkled with either parmesan or pecorino romano and served immediately.

The zucchini caramelizes and is just delicious. Eaten as a side dish, but you could even serve this as a stand up starter for guests. Just slice into bite sized pieces.

How to Choose Zucchini

Ideally, you want to choose smaller slim zucchini. Large zucchini are bland and watery. Look for glossy skin and no dents. Most importantly, zucchini should be firm.

Is Zucchini Good For You?

Zucchini has many health benefits. Low in calories and carbs, it’s rich in anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins, particularly Vitamin A. Zucchini is also helpful for digestion.

What to do with Zucchini: My Favorite Zucchini Recipes

• Zucchini Fritters
• Zucchini with Linquini
• Roasted Zucchini with Pecorino and Toasted Almonds
• Zucchini turned into Zoodles with Shrimp
• Oven Baked Zucchini Fries
• Zucchini Bread

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Cast Iron Zucchini with Parmesan

Stovetop Grilled Zucchini with Olive Oil and Parmesan

Course Vegetable Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword zucchini

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Equipment

• 1 Cast Iron Frying Pan or Griddle

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini
• 2 tablesoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons pecorino romano or parmesan
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees f.
• Slice Zucchini lengthwise
• Salt and set aside for twenty minutes.
• Add sliced garlic to olive oil, while the zucchini is resting.
• Wipe any moisture off with paper towel.
• Brush with olive oil, and place on frying pan or griddle skin side up.
• Fry until golden and place in oven for another ten minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Once out of the oven, sprinkle with parmesan or pecorino romano.
• Garnish with chopped parsley.

The post What to do with Zucchini and a New Grilled Zucchini Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

These grain free zucchini fries are made with pork skins, crushed to resemble panko breadcrumbs. You can buy your favorite bag and crush them or you can save time (and money) using Pork Panko by Bacon’s Heir. (Amazon Affiliate)  They sent me a bag  to try but I am not being paid for this blog post and under no obligation to write about it.

After having crushed my own pork rinds, I find Pork Panko so much easier and you get a very ample amount in the bag that will take you through several recipes.



One of things I still like to do is add in freshly grated pecorino Romano, as I did with these grain chicken tenders made here. These are crunchy, and flavorful, especially if you are like me and have a “salt” tooth more than a “sweet” tooth.

It’s not totally necessary to use grated cheese, but I love the salt and the flavor, especially if you use Pecorino Romano,  which is a sheep’s cheese.

Pecorino Romano Brings Flavor to Grain Free Zucchini Fries

If you’re wondering what pecorino is, it  refers to any cheese made from sheep’s milk, but we refer here to the hard cheese that is typically grated upon a majority of Italy’s pasta.

Not all sheep’s cheese is alike. It can vary in softer, harder, saltier, but the common thread is that sheep’s cheese is fattier, richer than goat or cow’s milk as sheep’s milk has nearly twice the fat content.

Spicy and sharp with notes of straw, it has a salty tang that jumps all over the mouth, into the nose and even awakens the throat with just one bite, linger on the palate. That saltiness is what I like when using alternative flours like almond flour or breading with Pork Panko.

It’s the twin’s favorite cheese in the world. They eat it on pasta, cut also eat it by itself.

The Easy Process for Keto Friendly Oven Baked Zucchini Fries

The rest is straight forward. Just dip in egg, roll in a mixture of the panko and grated cheese. These are then baked in the oven, about 8 minutes per side. These are best eaten right away, but can be reheated in the oven.

More Low Carb Zucchini Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Zucchini with Shaved Pecorino and Toasted Almonds

Yellow Squash Frittata

Roasted Zucchini

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Oven Fried Zucchini Fries, Grain Free, Gluten Free

Oven Fried Grain Free Low Zucchini, Using Pork Skins or Pork Panko,

Course Side Dish Vegetable

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• This recipe contains Amazon Affiliate links which earn a commission.
• 4 zucchini or yellow squash see notes
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or Pecorino Romano
• 2 cups pork panko or crushed pork rinds Order Here
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• parchment paper or baking spray

Instructions

• Cut zucchini in sticks.
• Season with salt.
• Mix cheese and panko crumbs together.
• Dip into egg mixture.
• Dredge in panko mixture.
• Place on baking pan that has been sprayed or lined with parchment paper.
• Bake at 400 degrees F. for approximately 15 minutes, turning over halfway.
• You may need to bake longer. You want the fries to be a golden brown.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley
• Serve immediately.

Notes

This will depend on how large the zucchini is. I suggest using as small or slim as you can find. You may need to use more panko crumbs, depending on how many fries you are able to cut. You want to make sure you bread each side amply.

This site contains Amazon affiliate links which earn a small commission, not affecting price.




The post Crispy Oven Baked, Grain Free Zucchini Fries, Low Carb appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

How are you my very nice readers? Can I tell you something?

You really are a nice crew of people. I get the sweetest emails from you, and I’m floored that you take the time to let me know you enjoyed a recipe. It means a lot to me in our world where everything moves so fast.

I notice many millennials are embracing food the way I do, the way I was taught.  I almost see some as finding their way back from a childhood of fast food and boxed mac and cheese.

If you were a child of my grandmother’s generation, you were thinner, ate at home more often and ate as a family.

If you were at the home of my paternal grandmother, you would be eating this southern fried chicken, and this macaroni and cheese. You would still be skinny.  Carbs were different then and I don’t know why, maybe because the food was made from scratch and milk came via the milkman.

If you were at my maternal grandmother’s house, you would be eating dishes like quick minestrone soup and this spicy shrimp with olives over spaghetti.  My mother and my aunt grew up thin, eating spaghetti and Italian bread all the time.

She was a hair stylist and beauty shop owner.  She cooked fast. She cooked smart. She always cooked healthy. She was very influential in my life. At the time, I wanted to eat  junk food, but I never forgot her lectures and the way she quickly moved in the kitchen. She would grab the garlic, onions, olives and in mere minutes have food on the table.

Spicy Shrimp with Olives is Fast and Smart

You have a lot of options here. You can use fresh tomatoes, as I did. I made this in the summer, and tomatoes were more than plentiful right from the farm. I had more than I knew what to do with.

Like my grandmother, I grabbed some olive oil, garlic, shallots, cooked those little tomatoes right on the stove until they broke down into a sweet sauce.  If you don’t have fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, use canned tomatoes (I prefer Cento San Marzano). I added red pepper flakes, because I like spice with shrimp.

I used a topping of pistou, which is optional.  Pistou is a Provencal condiment, made with basil and olive oil, often layered on top of a summer vegetable soup. It’s really nice on shrimp dishes.

You can serve this with pasta. I used zucchini to make zoodles because we had plenty of zucchini.

This is not a fancy dish, or a complicated dish. It’s just an easy, flavorful dish that we make over and over again.

More Spinach Tiger Shrimp Recipes Here.

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Italian Spicy Shrimp with Olives

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups grape tomatoes see notes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
• 1 tablespoons capers optional
• 2 medium shallots finely diced (or 1/2 sweet onion)
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or chopped hot red chili pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 pound wild shrimp shelled, cleaned, deveined
• 2 large zucchini
• 6 olives (see notes)

Pistou (see recipe here)

Instructions

• Put an x in each end of the grape tomatoes. Toss with a teaspoon of olive oil.
• Put in shallow baking pan, and bake for 20 minutes 350 degrees. You may need to roast for an extra five minutes, depending on size.
• Sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil. Add pepper flakes and parsley.
• Rinse shrimp several times in cold water. Pat dry.
• Add shrimp to the frying pan. Cook just until shrimp are pink. (about 3 minutes). Remove shrimp. Set aside.
• In meantime, spiral zucchini and add to the pan. You will need to add more olive oil at this time.
• Cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini is softened.
• Toss in roasted tomatoes and shrimp.
• Taste for seasoning.
• Add more heat in the form of red pepper flakes if desired.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add in Pistou, if desired. If you don’t have time to make pistou, add basil leaves or extra parsley.

Notes

Use any kind of olives except black ripe olives. Italian olives are good, either green or black.
Regarding tomatoes, if you don’t have access to good tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes.

The post Italian Spicy Shrimp with Olives over Zoodles appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This healthy zucchini bread recipe takes us right from summer to the Fall baking season, as smell of cinnamon and nutmeg take over. Pies go bye bye (for a while) and the oven gets ready for cake and those good smells wafting through the house.

Quick breads are always tricky for me, because they can get a bit dense. It took me a while to find this amazing banana nut bread recipe and a few tries to get this healthier version of zucchini bread where I wanted it.

In my last post, I talked about taking kitchen risks and being willing to fail. Let me tell you, I failed the first few times I attempted to develop this, and I’m a good baker. The problem I faced was getting it sweet enough to taste like that sweet, moist zucchini bread you can get at the Farmer’s market. I’m convinced those quick breads have way more sugar than I want to know about.

I ended up using spelt flour, which I believe bakes up beautifully, adding carrots in for sweetness, adding much more zucchini than most recipes and limiting the pure cane sugar. While there are lots of sweetening alternatives out there, I haven’t found one I’m in love with. I think the better solution is training the taste buds to desire a less sweet taste, more like the European cakes. I’m not into splenda or those types of alternatives, and agave is no better than regular sugar. I did add in some honey, which I’ll always be a fan of.

So tell me, are you looking for healthy ways to bake? If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

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Healthy Zucchini Bread Recipe

Healthy version of zucchini bread with honey, carrots, zucchini, whole wheat flour

Course Quick Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup pure cane sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cups olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 zucchini between 12-16 ounces, grated
• 2 small carrots grated

Instructions

• Mix dry ingredients together well with a whisk. Flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
• Beat eggs.
• Add sugar to eggs.
• Add oil to sugar egg mixture.
• Add vanilla to same mixture.
• Mix dry and wet ingredients together, gently.
• Add in zucchini and carrots.
• Chop and toast walnuts either in oven for 3 minutes or on top of stove.
• Mix in walnuts. As an option, mix walnuts with a little brown sugar and add to the top of the bread before baking.
• Grease the baking pan and sprinkle sugar or flour. Another option is to put parchment paper on bottom of the dish.
• Bake at 350 for 45 -55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The post Healthy Zucchini Bread Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

People often ask me how I learned to cook or how do I stay so creative in the kitchen?

It’s easy. I eat out a lot. I am greatly inspired and motivated by restaurants and their talented chefs. I knew when I came home from the food press tour in Columbus, I was not just going to write about the food, I was going to make specific dishes that I thought were memorable.

I was eating a zucchini dish at Basi Italia, and noticing  ten food writers and company finish every bite  of a generous portion of roasted zucchini blanketed with tangy, salty, shaved Pecorino. It’s not unusual for me to rave about a vegetable dish, but to see others that don’t typically swoon over a green side dish, got my attention.

I was even put into my culinary place because my first thinking was that maybe the zucchini should have some lemon, but then the more I ate it, I realized, I was wrong.  Of course, there is no right or wrong in a dish such as this. If you want a squeeze of lemon because you’re in that mood, that’s still right. But, I think I learned something about simplicity.

The sweetness of  a fresh zucchini just barely roasted enough to be tender can be enjoyed for their own natural taste, especially when covered in translucent layers of my favorite sharp sheep’s cheese, Pecorino Romano.

This is a signature dish, one that evokes such culinary sensory pleasure, that your friends, your family will remember it and ask for it. I know those food writers talked about it and are still talking about it.

Zucchini is one of those summer vegetables that people joke about and take for granted. Gardeners and farmers often let them grow to the size of baseball bats and then try to pawn them off in the market or to friends. I know how easily that can happen because we grew zucchini this summer. I learned to go out every morning and pick them while they were still slim, small, tender and sweet. One day I missed one and found a zucchini club waiting for me. Even I didn’t want to eat it.

Pecorino, Cheese from Sheep’s Milk

Pecorino refers to any cheese made from sheep’s milk, but we refer here to the hard cheese that is typically grated upon 2/3’s of Italy’s pasta.  Not all sheep’s cheese is alike. It can vary in softer, harder, saltier, but the common thread is that sheep’s cheese is fattier, richer than goat or cow’s milk as sheep’s milk has nearly twice the fat content.   Spicy and sharp with notes of straw, it has a salty tang that jumps all over the mouth, into the nose and even awakens the throat with just one bite, linger on the palate. Sheep’s milk cheese is my favorite as the “sheepy” taste is distinct, more delicate than goat’s cheese, and very easy to digest. If I were a cheese farmer, I would want to make sheep’s cheese, but I don’t see a lot of that here in the States.

Did you know that sheep’s milk came before cow’s milk, is healthier and more nutritious, and due to short and medium chain fatty acids,  has no effect on cholesterol? This is how this dish made it into the “Spinach Tiger Fit” category.

There are nuances in taste,  depending on where the sheep graze. In Italy, the diet changes as the sheep climb the mountains to a cooler climate in summer months. Pecorino can be purchases in softer, creamier form when it’s young, aged 3 to 6 months, but for this dish, you need to use the Pecorino that graces 2/3’s of Italy’s table for pasta.

All Pecorino have a PDO, a protected designation of origin. The most common one used outside of Italy is Pecorino Romano, which I used for this dish. It is buttery and wonderful grated onto pasta, giving a fatty, salty boost, especially to dishes like Orchiette and Broccoli Rabe, a classic.

I used Pecorino Romano, aged 9 months  which  grates well, but also slices well using a hand held mandolin.  If you don’t have a mandolin, use the box grater and go for mini slices, but now is the time to buy that mandolin you’ve always wanted. (I love this one.)

I sliced the zucchini lengthwise in 1/8 inch pieces and cut it to strips. You could use a machine to get perfect cuts but it’s not important, because the zucchini is covered by the cheese, and it’s supposed to be an easy, rustic dish, but has modern appeal.

I roasted the zucchini and the almonds at the same time. This helps ensure the zucchini is just cooked right, about 5 minutes.

Tell me, do you get inspired to cook when you eat in restaurants? What have you made?

The post Roasted Zucchini with Pecorino and Toasted Almonds Inspired by Basi Italia appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Houses are now bigger than ever and supposed to make our life better,  but they come with entrances that require an invitation.

I long for the times we used to sit on the front porch and neighbors would drop by for ice tea or coffee. Even as a teenager, my friends would come to pick me up or drop me off, end up parking the car and we would spend an hour on the porch listening to the latest story about something or about nothing. It didn’t matter. It was just making a connection. Now we have more technology and we can text a friend on the other side of the world, but texting never tells the story.

I recently visited a friend who now lives in the house she grew up in and it has a well used front porch full of stories, history. On two different nights we sat there till after 1:00 a.m. Every now and then the 93 year shirtless man next door would come to his porch and wave. My friend has known him all her life.

A good friend and neighbor, Janet, made it over to the porch several times. She is Italian, loves to cook as much as I do, and when she found out I wrote a food blog, she graciously came with written out recipes in hand to share. I envy her neighbors because she’s the type that not only shares recipes, but comes with food. Good food. Soon after she gave me her zucchini fritter family recipe, she ran home made a batch and returned with a hot platter.

I got more than a recipe from her. I got her story. She’s a giver. She doubles this recipe and takes these zucchini fritters to gatherings. She’s enjoys making people happy with food. I found out that although she is younger than my friend, she was best friends with my friend’s mother. She sat on that porch for years with her laughing, hearing family secrets and, in the end, taking care of her like a daughter would. That front porch created a life long bond far more profound than the instant text.

I could have downloaded a recipe for zucchini fritters from an app, but it wouldn’t mean the same thing to me. When she arrived on the front porch with those hot fritters, I knew I had made a friend.

The Zucchini Fritters

The batter will be thick. The normal size would be a heaping tablespoon, but if you want to make some bite size fritters, uses a teaspoon.

I made it twice to be sure the recipe worked well. The first time I used a food processor to shred the zucchini. The second time, I used an old fashioned box cheese grater and I liked that texture better. I changed a few things by making my own bread crumbs and adding in fresh basil, but the important part of the recipe stayed the same. In addition to the flour, there is a  a good amount of eggs and some baking powder. I also like that she used the pecorino romano cheese, which is a favorite of mine. It’s saltiness carries an egg dish which can go bland. I replaced the olive oil with a good grapeseed oil, which has a flavor all its own and is good for high temperature cooking. Make sure you use a full half cup in this recipe. It makes a difference.

I can’t wait to come back with a few more of her specialties like stromboli, or her BLT pasta salad. I tried hard to get her mother’s recipe for cucidati cookies, an Italian fig cookie made at Christmas time, but she did share the secret ingredient. This is Janet’s go to dish for parties.

By the way, one night we had to move our car for trash day. It was 1:30 in the morning and I suggested we use the drive way of the 93 year old neighbor who no longer drives. My friend said, “good idea, I’ll call him right now.” I replied, “but, it’s 1:30 in the morning.” She said, “that’s okay, he’s up till 5.”  She called and he was up and happy. I just love the eccentricities that come with living in a city neighborhood.

Tell me, did you ever get to spend time sitting on the front porch?

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Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini fritters, an Italian appetizer made with eggs, flour, and Italian cheese

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 5 large zucchini size of big cucumbers shredded with box grater.
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Shred zucchini with either a box grater or food processor that shreds, but does not mash. Salt zucchini, let stand 10 minutes and then absorb the extra moisture with paper towels.
• Mix together flour, breadcrumbs, salt, baking powder. Add cheese.
• Beat eggs and add to mixture. Mixture will be somewhat dry when stirring. Let it sit for 20 minutes. If the mixture is too moist, add in more flour until it looks like the picture.
• Drop from a spoon and hot olive oil on medium high heat. I usually do one tester and then apply extra seasoning if necessary, by adding in more cheese, or salt.
• Must get brown before turn them. Use a heaping tablespoon for regular size or a teaspoon for bite size.
• You can serve with yogurt, sour cream or an aoili or just alone, my preference.

Notes

Regarding the seasoned breadcrumbs, I ground up panko bread crumbs and applied my own herbs. You can use Italian bread crumbs.

Regarding the pecorino cheese, it's important to use the real cheese you grate yourself to build flavor. You can substitute with a real good parmesan.

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This is our 4th year growing a small garden.  We still don’t know what we’re doing, but we seem to have green thumbs.  This year we decided to have organic soil delivered, and we can already see the difference. Organics in Motion is located in Franklin, Tennessee and can be found at the Franklin Farmer’s Market.

Roasted zucchini tossed with a little spaghetti turns a side dish into dinner.

When planting a garden, it’s important to get good help because when the dirt is delivered, it took a few hours to get it into the garden boxes.

April 8 – We received the organic dirt, mixed with compost and fertilizer, all ready to go.  We bought plants the following weekend.  At the dirt point, it’s hard to envision how much everything is going to grow.

May 6 – The zucchini leaves grew to about 6-8 inches in a few weeks.

May 28 – The garden is crowded. The squash plants are huge. You are seeing zucchini with female blossoms. I pulled a few male squash blossoms to make this dish here.

June 3 – The garden is already crowded. We are assessing the mistakes we have made, but it’s flourishing and we are going to have fun keeping up with it.

May 31 – I picked our first zucchini for this dish. Now, a week later, I have to be careful to get out there fast. They are growing overnight and we don’t want them too large. These were small, tender and required nothing but a drop of olive oil and a little salt for roasting.

Stay tuned for recipes for tomatoes,  yellow squash, peppers, eggplant, fennel, green beans and cucumbers. Rosemary and thyme thrive year round, and we’ve added tarragon, sage, pineapple sage, chives, parsley and of course, basil.

Tell me, are your growing a garden and do you have any tips?

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Roasted Zucchini

First zucchini from the garden, young, small, tender, roasted with olive oil, sea salt.

Ingredients

• zucchini
• olive oil
• sea salt
• basil
• pasta optional

Instructions

• Slice zucchini lengthwise into strips
• Toss with a little bit of olive (a little goes a long way in roasting).
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Roast at 400 for about 10 minutes.
• Toss with fresh basil once removed from oven.
• Serve as a side dish, or toss with pasta add parmesan cheese.

The post Roasted Zucchini, First Fruits from our Garden appeared first on Spinach Tiger.