Karen Barnaby: Zucchini the friendly veg that plays well with others

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Growing up, we never had zucchini as part of a meal. My grandmother would cook it as a snack, and cook it she did.

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She roasted thick, oil-drizzled slices to one shade less than burnt. As soon as they were cool enough to eat, they were sprinkled with salt and we devoured the creamy and sharply flavoured rounds directly from the baking pan. They were so good!

I was surprised when I ventured out into the world to discover that no one else cooked zucchini like this except by accidentally forgetting that it was in the oven. How my grandmother chose this way to whip character into this pleasant vegetable, I’ll never know.

I was happy to find that many tasty things can be made from zucchini and its “friends” pattypan squash and vegetable marrow. All are forgiving and adaptable. Quickly grilling, cooking it down into a buttery mass, or hiding it away in a bread or cake, in soup, pasta sauces or substituting it for pasta.

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It’s a vegetable I take for granted until I realize that from summer to late fall it’s always in my fridge. My steady supply comes from farm markets and friends with vegetable gardens. Like most seasonal produce, it plays well with the vegetables it grew up with — tomatoes, eggplant, basil and mint form a tasty alliance together.

I still do like to cook it in the style of my grandmother and feel a little guilty when I put it on a plate instead of eating it straight out of the pan.

Zucchini frittata

I crammed as much zucchini as I could into this frittata. Salting the zucchini and squeezing out the water, plus the long baking time, eliminates having to fry a giant mass of zucchini. The zucchini becomes tender and sweet with a firm bite.

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You can add shredded cheese or scatter the top with soft, crumbled goat cheese just before removing it from the oven if you wish.

2 lbs (1 kg) zucchini, trimmed

2 tsp (10 mL) salt

4 tbsp (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) thinly sliced onion

6 large eggs

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

1 tsp (5 mL) fresh thyme leaves

Slice zucchini crosswise into 1/8-inch (0.3-cm) slices — if you have a mandoline, use it — and transfer to a large bowl. Toss well with 2 tsp (10 mL) salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze out the water with your hands.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch (25 cm) nonstick pan over high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until brown around the edges. Remove the onions, leaving oil in the pan.

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Heat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Whisk the eggs, 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt, pepper and thyme together. Fold in the onions and zucchini. Heat the frying pan and oil over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and as the egg sets, draw the egg from the outside of the pan towards the middle, letting the egg flow underneath. Do this three or four times around the perimeter of the pan then transfer to the oven. Bake for one hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Zucchini baked with tomatoes and feta

The inspiration for this came from the TikTok-famous baked tomato and feta pasta. This makes a lot, so feel free to halve the recipe. You can serve this as a vegetable dish, with toasted bread or toss it with pasta.

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Some types of feta get dry and crumbly when heated. A basic, not too fancy cow feta will be creamy, and creamy is advised if you’re tossing this with pasta.

2 lbs (1 kg) zucchini

1 1/4 lbs cherry tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

6 tbsp (90 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) black pepper

4-8 oz (120-250 g) block of feta cheese

1/4 cup (60 mL) basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Heat the oven to 450ºF (225ºC) Trim and cut the zucchini into 1-inch (2.5 cm) rounds. Transfer to a 13 x 18-inch rimmed sheet pan. Add the tomatoes, garlic, oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Toss and spread out evenly. Centre the feta in the middle of the pan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The tomatoes will have popped and the zucchini will be tender.

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Mash the feta and distribute it through the vegetables. Stir in the basil and serve hot, room temperature or chilled.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Zucchini brownies

The zucchini is undetectable and the brownies are moist and fudgy. These can be made vegan by using vegan sugar and chocolate chips.

2 cups (500 mL) shredded zucchini with any accumulated juice

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) neutral flavoured vegetable oil

2 tsp (10 mL) pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup (60 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1 1/2 tsps (7.5 mL) baking soda

1 1/4 cup (310 mL) chocolate chips, divided

Heat the oven to 350ºF (125ºC). Line a 9 x 13-inch (22.5 x 32.5 cm) baking pan with parchment paper and lightly oil.

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Place the zucchini, sugar, oil and vanilla in a food processor. Pulse until the zucchini is pureed. Add the remaining ingredients and 1 cup (250 mL) of the chocolate chips. Pulse only until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides. Spread into the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with the remaining chips. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool before cutting.

Makes 36 pieces.

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