Good old zucchini has many aliases, depending on where you are and where you grew up. In the UK, they are courgettes, in some parts of America they are known as summer squash, and they can also go by the name marrow, depending on their size. It can all get a little confusing.
RECIPES
SALTED & LEMONED RAW ZUCCHINI, FROMAGE BLANC & GRATED ALMOND
ZUCCHINI-WRAPPED JOHN DORY, TOMATO, PINE NUTS & STEAMED ZUCCHINI FLOWERS
As a young chef there were a lot of things I disliked. Maybe it was youthfulness, ignorance or even (gulp) arrogance, but there were a lot of vegetables I “hated.” In the early days of my cooking career, I will admit that I found zucchini to be watery and pretty tasteless. And still now I find myself reverting to those old ways. It’s so easy to react like a five year old, sticking your tongue out and saying, “Uck!” when thinking of zucchini. But somehow, somewhere, something changed. Maybe it was just that my palate matured but, as a general rule, I really do love it now. I think it was the discovery of salting the zucchini for a few minutes before cooking or eating raw that has helped me to remove that earlier memory of a watery vegetable. In fact, this is what I now do for the majority of my recipes involving zucchini. This is a simple device to get rid of excess moisture within the vegetable, and it also creates a really lovely, different texture:
What we now know as the zucchini is a variety that was developed and warmly embraced in Italy. Like many things, Columbus brought the zucchini back to Europe in his luggage from the South Americas, and it has been widely adopted ever since. It took somewhat longer to reach the UK and Australia, the first real introduction was from the wonderful Elizabeth David in her classic cookbook Mediterranean Food, which was first published in 1950. She removed the mystery from these then little-known vegetables and encouraged their widespread growth and use. And we should all be grateful she did—they are so versatile. You can salt them and eat them raw, you can eat them baked, broiled, pickled, grated or fried, in salad, soups and sautés, not to mention cakes, breads and muffins. They are central to Italian cuisine. After all, what would a ratatouille or minestrone be without zucchini? They are treated just as reverentially in the Deep South where, naturally, they are coated in batter and deep-fried to make delicious zucchini fritters.
I haven’t included any sweet recipes in here but, if you have a flick through a few old cookbooks, I’ll guarantee you’ll come across some amazing cake recipes that involve the humble zuc too. This may be because they were generally a cheap vegetable and, perhaps, therefore within the budget of the frugal hausfrau. But also, once people started using them, it was discovered that zucchini contain a lot of natural moisture, making them a great addition to slices and cakes to stop them from drying out.
And it’s great for kids too. If they say they don’t like it, just don’t tell ’em it’s in there. They’ll never know otherwise! (That is an excellent little cheat to sneak more veggies into kids’ diets, actually. Zucchini is great because its flavor is so mild, you can put it in pretty much any dish—a favorite pasta sauce, for instance, and they won’t pick it. Secret vitamins! Ha ha!)
I’m sure you all know that the flower of the zucchini can also be eaten. Stuffed zucchini flowers were all the rage in restaurants and magazines there for a bit—I’ll even put my hand up and say I got caught up in the moment and did a couple of versions, although now I’m not entirely sure why. Don’t get me wrong, they are quite lovely, and I’m not against using the flower, but if I do use it now I will use the male variety. Plants contain “male” and “female” parts for reproduction and zucchini is no different. If you look at the plant itself, the male is the flower with a very long thin stalk. The female is the fruit producer and her flower will have a small zucchini attached. You still get the visual effect and flavor from using the male, but you can still grow your zucchini to full size also.
And, speaking of growing, I am very proud to say it’s one of the few veggies I have triumphantly and successfully grown. But there is a secret to getting your vine to behave and that is to be absolutely vicious with your pruning shears. It’s all about tough love. You have to be the one in control and don’t be scared to keep cutting it back, because it will spread everywhere, in very similar fashion to a pumpkin vine, and it will do so very quickly. From one plant you should get at least 20 zucchini a year. More than enough for you and your neighbors too I should imagine.
But don’t just limit yourself to good old green. Like most plants there are many really lovely lesser-known varieties out there. I like the little fat white zues, myself. They tend to be very sweet and delicate. Yellow ones are nice for their vibrant color, but they do discolor quite quickly if you don’t treat them gently. They’ll hold up quite well in a brown paper bag in the fridge.
The key to zucchini selection is the younger and smaller the better. As they get older they will become bitter and full of water and seeds. Harvest them no bigger than the diameter of a golf ball, salt them before use and that’s it.
SALTED & LEMONED RAW ZUCCHINI, FROMAGE BLANC & GRATED ALMOND
SERVES 4 AS A SALAD TO SHARE
A simple yet delicious salad that is great on its own, but also rocks with a little sandwich on the side. You can omit the salmon roe, if you wish, but the texture of the roe really enhances the dish.
4 SMALLISH GREEN ZUCCHINI
2 NOT-SO-HEALTHY PINCHES OF SEA SALT
JUICE OF 1 LEMON
⅓ CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
3 TABLESPOONS FINELY CHOPPED ITALIAN PARSLEY
1 CUP TORN BASIL LEAVES
1 TOMATO, QUARTERED, SEEDS REMOVED AND THINLY SLICED
3 ½ OUNCES FROMAGE BLANC (USE FROMAGE FRAIS IF YOU WANT)
5 ORGANIC RAW ALMONDS
3 TABLESPOONS SALMON ROE (OPTIONAL)
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Thinly slice the zucchini on a mandoline into ribbons, then slice, using a sharp knife, into thin strips. Place in a colander, toss with the salt and let stand for 3 minutes.
Rinse off the salt and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a large bowl, add the lemon juice and olive oil and let stand again for 3 minutes. Pour off any excess liquid. Mix through the herbs and tomato and transfer to a serving plate. Spoon over the fromage blanc, then finely grate the almonds, using a Microplane, over the salad. Spoon over liberal amounts of the salmon roe and finish with some pepper.
ZUCCHINI-WRAPPED JOHN DORY, TOMATO, PINE NUTS & STEAMED ZUCCHINI FLOWERS
SERVES 2
2 ZUCCHINI
FINE SEA SALT, FOR SPRINKLING
2 × 4½ OUNCES JOHN DORY, SEA BASS OR TURBOT FILLETS, SKIN REMOVED
2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL, PLUS EXTRA FOR DRIZZLING
1 MEDIUM POTATO, PEELED, DICED AND BOILED UNTIL TENDER
1 TOMATO, QUARTERED, SEEDS REMOVED AND FINELY DICED
2 TABLESPOONS CURRANTS, SOAKED IN WARM WATER, THEN DRAINED
1 TABLESPOON PINE NUTS, TOASTED
3 TABLESPOONS WHITE WINE
1 TABLESPOON BASIL LEAVES, FINELY CHOPPED
1 TABLESPOON CHIVES, FINELY CHOPPED
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
6 ZUCCHINI FLOWERS (MALE OR FEMALE)
JUICE OF 1 LEMON
2¾ OUNCES FETA CHEESE (OPTIONAL)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Take one zucchini, top and tail it, then thinly slice on a mandoline lengthways. You should get 12 good long strips. Lay these side by side on a tray, sprinkle with the salt and let stand for 8 minutes to draw out the moisture, which will make it easier to wrap the fish in. Rinse off the salt. Layer 6 slices lengthways side by side slightly overlapping onto a tea towel and pat dry. Repeat with the remaining slices. Now a John Dory has three pieces in one fillet. Fold the pieces lengthways like a little parcel, then place in the middle of the zucchini ribbons. Using the tea towel as a guide, carefully lift and wrap the zucchini around the fish, then place, seam side down, onto a tray.
Heat a skillet over high heat, add 3 teaspoons of the olive oil and place the zucchini-wrapped fish, seam side down, into the pan and pan fry for 2 minutes. Turn over, turn down the heat and fry the presentation side for 3 minutes. Carefully take out of the pan and place on a baking sheet. Wash the pan.
Now dice the remaining zucchini (and any left-over fish scraps). Place the clean pan over high heat, add the rest of the oil and heat for 1–2 minutes. When hot, add the diced zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium, add the potato and tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Add the currants, pine nuts and wine, turn up the heat to high and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Take off the heat, add the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Put to the side.
Put the tray of zucchini-wrapped John Dory in the oven for 10 minutes. Steam the zucchini flowers for 2–3 minutes. To serve, divide the zucchini mixture between plates. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fish. Place on the plates, lay the zucchini flowers on top, drizzle with olive oil and crumble over the feta.
ZUCCHINI & OLIVE DRESSING
MAKES 1½ CUPS
This is my version of a tapenade but with a little twist. It not only goes great with simple boiled potatoes, all white fish and on steamed vegetables but it also makes a nice dressing for salad leaves.
3–4 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
2 SMALL ZUCCHINI, CUT INTO PINKY-NAIL-SIZED CUBES
2 GARLIC CLOVES, THINLY SLICED
2 TABLESPOONS CHARDONNAY VINEGAR
⅔ CUP BLACK OLIVES, PITTED
2 ANCHOVY FILLETS (OPTIONAL)
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
10 BASIL LEAVES, FINELY CHOPPED
Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and garlic and sauté until lightly brown and softened. Turn down the heat and deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Take off the heat and divide the mixture into two batches. Reserve one-half for later. Place the other in a blender along with the olives, anchovies and remaining olive oil (if you like) and season with salt and pepper. Blitz for 30–40 seconds or until a smooth paste forms. Pour into a bowl and fold in the reserved zucchini mixture and the basil. Add a little more olive oil if it needs to be a little wetter, check the salt and pepper levels, then it’s ready to go. It will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
