Zucchini, and more zucchini

And new ways to use it up!

As a snack, app or side dish:
Parmesean-encrusted Zucchini Wedges
from Savoring the Thyme (found from Tastespotting.com)

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (i.e. plain breadcrumbs plus whatever herb/spice mix you like- I used 1 t Penzey's Sunny Paris)
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
pinch of salt
dash or two of pepper
Combine all in a shallow bowl.

2 eggs, beaten
Place in a second shallow bowl.

1 large zucchini, cut into steak fries-sized wedges

Preheat oven to 450F (note: this is also the temperature for baking pizza, so... this was our side dish for a home made pizza dinner :) )

Assembly: Dunk the zucchini wedges into the egg, then the breadcrumb/parm mixture. Make sure each wedge is nicely coated with the breadcrumb/parm mixture, then arrange on a baking sheet. Once all are coated and on the sheet, bake at 450F for about 25-30 minutes, until zucchini is softened, but the coating isn't burned.

We served with a small bowl of leftover pizza sauce (going with the idea of mozzarella sticks dipped in marinara), rather than the parmesean cream sauce the original recipe suggested. We reheated leftovers in the oven, but they didn't crisp up the way they did when they were fresh- I'd only make as much as you plan to eat.



And zucchini as breakfast or dessert:
Zucchini Spice Muffins
adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes via Big City Cooking
2 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup all-purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1 t salt

2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1/4 t ground cloves

Whisk all the above together, set aside.

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs
Beat together in the bowl of mixer. Add:

2t vanilla

3/4-1 t grated lemon zest

2 cups brown sugar
Beat. Add:

3 cups packed grated zucchini (about one very large and 2 small, and I used a mix of zucchini, summer squash and that striped green squash we keep getting))
1.5 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional, but they'd be really good)

Stir til combined.

Whisk in the dry ingredients, fill muffin tins (I used my new individual silicone muffin wrappers, which worked really well) about 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 20-25 minutes. Store in an airtight container for a few days, put in the fridge if you plan to keep them around longer. My unrefrigerated muffins got moldy after 6 days.

Remember, cupcakes have frosting, muffins don't. You could easily turn these into zucchini spice cupcakes with the addition of cream cheese frosting, if you'd rather eat them for dessert.