Welcome to my kitchen

Zucchini plants growing in Odessa gardens are beginning to produce the annual over abundance of this versatile vegetable. There is no end to the number and variety of recipes devised to use up the abundance of fruit produced by this prolific plant. Cakes, breads, cookies, casseroles and salads, the recipes keep coming.

Several years ago Cindi Bell, formerly of Odessa, gave me copies of a stack of zucchini recipes that she had collected and developed to incorporate zucchini into the meals she prepared for Senior Meals in Stevens County. One of this batch of over 50 recipes is Special Zucchini Bread. It features poppy seeds and curry powder.

Special Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1/3 cup poppy seeds

Zest of one lemon

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups grated zucchini

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp curry powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans and set aside.

Combine walnuts, poppy seeds and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugars with electric mixer until mixture is fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and zucchini. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in nut mixture.

Gently spoon into prepared pans. Bake 50 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans and continue cooling on wire racks.

Note: you can use yellow summer squash in this recipe.

When I make any quick-bread recipe, I line the greased pan with parchment paper, grease the paper and pan and skip the flour. This method makes the bread come out of the pan without breaking apart.

Zucchini makes a great base for main dish casseroles. Zucchini Lasagna uses thin lengthwise slices of zucchini in place of noodles. The recipe I use originated with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (visit it at eatwisconsincheese.com). Over time I have developed a couple of variations that I will share at the end of the recipe instructions.

Zucchini Lasagna

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

4 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick

2 Tbsp flour, divided

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brown beef and onion in a medium saucepan; drain excess fat. Return to pan and add tomato sauce and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese and egg in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

Arrange half of the zucchini slices in the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish; sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of the flour. Top with ricotta cheese mixture and half the beef mixture. Repeat with remaining zucchini and flour. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. Add remaining beef mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Variations: use 1 1/2 cups salsa and a 1.25 ounce package of taco seasoning in place of the tomato sauce and spices. Replace meat with a 16-ounce can of refried beans for a Mexican style lasagna.

Use 1 1/2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce in place of the tomato sauce and spices.

All types of ground meat may be substituted for the ground beef.

Prepared Alfredo sauce may be used for a white lasagna.

The important thing to remember when working with zucchini is to measure ingredients accurately. Moisture content makes all the difference in a zucchini recipe. Too much zucchini or liquid makes for a sloppy dish.

Sliced ice-cold, young zucchini and other summer squash make a colorful addition to vegetable trays. A savory all purpose dip for veggies and chips is Caramelized Onion Dip. I served this at a recent event with a variety of chips, but the original recipe in the June issue of Better Homes and Gardens suggested fresh vegetables. Make dip at least two hours before serving, or up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Caramelized Onion Dip

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 large onions

2 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups light sour cream

2/3 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt; toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook and stir onions until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool. Stir in garlic.

In a medium bowl combine the cooled onion mixture, sour cream, mayonnaise, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Cover; chill at least one hour to blend flavors.

Transfer to a serving bowl; stir. Serve dip with fresh vegetables or chips. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Share your favorite zucchini and summer vegetable and fruit recipes, quick summer meal recipes and favorite produce canning and freezing recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159.

Who has the best recipe for deep fried zucchini? Email your recipes to therecord@odessaoffice.com. Who’s grandma makes the best chocolate zucchini cake? Drop your recipes in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. If you don’t have time to copy down your recipe, take it into The Record office and have them photocopy it and put it in my mail tin. If you got the recipe from the Internet, just email me the link. Keep summer squash and cucumbers picked to promote setting of additional fruit.