Rural Gardening: On the May Homestead, 1 by darius

darius wrote:
Zucchini Carpaccio (photo below)
Serves 6 as a light salad course
Vegetarian and gluten-free; vegan if you omit the cheese

* 2 green zucchini, about 1 inch in diameter and 7 or so inches long
* 2 yellow zucchini or summer squash, same dimensions or 4 yellow pattypan squash (the UFO looking guys)
* 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 4 teaspoons sherry vinegar, champagne vinegar, or good red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon minced shallot
* 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
* black pepper
* small handful of fresh mint leaves
* small handful of fresh dill heads or regular fresh dill, or other herb of your choice
* Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Trim the ends of all the squash. Using a mandoline, slice somewhere between 1/16 and 1/8" thick. Discard slices that are mostly skin. Working in batches that will fit in a single layer on a microwave safe plate, cook 1 minute. Then cook 30 more seconds at a time until they are quite tender. Reserve on a sheet pan in the refrigerator, keeping the single layer so they don't tear.
2. Let the shallot macerate in the vinegar for a few minutes, then whisk in the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.
3. When you are ready to serve, arrange either on chilled individual plates or a family style platter. You can see the arrangement I used above, overlapping alternating slices of 1 green zucchini with 2 yellow pattypan, but go with what you feel.
4. Drizzle on the dressing.
5. Tear and distribute the herbs. (If you have the dill heads, break them up into small flowers, they are real purty).
6. Use a vegetable peeler to distribute thin slices of parmigiano-reggiano.
7. Add a final sprinkling of sea salt to taste.
http://www.herbivoracious.com/organic_food/page/3/
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Julienned Zucchini with Lemon Pesto

8 zucchini – julienned or grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
Lemon Pesto (recipe to follow)
Additional lemon zest for garnish – optional
Freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish - optional

Dry the zucchini on paper towels after julienning or grating.
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Add the zucchini and sauté quickly about 1 minute. You want the zucchini to be warmed through but still a little crunchy. Add the lemon pesto and heat for about another 15 or 20 seconds just to warm it through. Garnish with additional lemon zest and or grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Serves 6

Lemon Pesto

Juice and zest of 2 lemons (I use a microplane for zesting)
1 bunch basil leaves (about ½ cup or one large handful)
5 gloves of garlic, smashed and peels removed
3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan
¼ cup olive oil
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper

In a small food processor or blender add all the pesto ingredients and process until well combined.
Note: you can add grated parmesan cheese to this pesto is you like, really nice when using it for gluten-free pasta. Just work in about 3 tablespoons at the end after all the other ingredients are combined.
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Zucchini Fritters with Feta and Dill
From Michael Symon’s Live to Cook

2 medium zucchini
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus whole dill for garnish
1 large scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the bias
2 teaspoons minced garlic
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces feta cheese, coarsely chopped or crumbled
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Oil or lard, for pan-frying
½ cup Greek yogurt
Coarse sea salt, for garnish

Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a grater onto a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle with the kosher salt and let it rest while you gather and prep the remaining ingredients.

Wrap the zucchini in the towel and wring as much liquid out of it as possible, discarding the liquid. In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, mint, dill, scallion, garlic, pepper, feta and all but 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest. Stir in the egg and flour and mix until well combined.

Add the canola oil to a large shallow pan; you want about ¼ inch or enough so that when all the fritters are in the pan, the oil comes halfway up their sides. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Form fritters by hand or using a ¼ cup measure, and fry them in the hot oil in batches. Cook until the fritters are golden brown on each side, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain in paper towels.

Transfer the fritters to plates and garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of dill, the reserved lemon zest, and some coarse sea salt.

Serves 4 (makes about 8 fritters)
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Zucchini Stuffed with Goat Cheese
Servings: 4

* 2 large zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
* 5 tbsp olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 2 shallots, finely chopped
* 2/3 cup bread crumbs or croutons
* 1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
* Salt, pepper
* 1 (4 oz) log Chèvre Plain
* 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
* 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F

Scoop out and discard seeds with a small amount of the flesh from the zucchini.

Sauté zucchini halves in 2 tablespoons of olive oil with garlic, shallots, bread crumbs, Herbes de Provence and a pinch of salt and pepper for 15 minutes. Let cool.

In a bowl stir together Chèvre with 1 tablespoon olive oil, chopped mint, and salt and pepper.

Stuff the cooled zucchini with the cheese mixture and arrange in a baking dish. Sprinkle with water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
Serve warm.