May marks the beginning of zucchini season. For the next four months, zucchini (aka summer squash) will flood farmer’s markets and overtake unsuscepting gardeners’ backyards. If there is one vegetable we don’t have to worry about going extinct, it’s zucchini. This stuff grows like crazy and is, as a result, super inexpensive while in season. Grab a basketful and start cooking!
- How to Pick: Look for zucchini with shiny skin, a stem still attached and less than 8 ounces heavy. The large ones tend to be more watery, and hence less flavorful. Also, avoid any zucchini with soft spots or large blemishes.
- How to Store:Keep zucchini in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. It will usually keep for about 4-5 days.
- How to Prepare: Zucchini contain a lot of water, so it is best to salt it beforehand to remove excess moisture. Otherwise, zucchini will end up cooking in a bath of their own liquid, instead of nicely sautéing and browning. Either slice or shred the zucchini, place it in a colander in the sink, sprinkle it with a bit of kosher salt and allow it to drain for about 30 minutes. Thoroughly rinse and dry the zucchini before proceeding with the rest of your recipe.
- Recipe Ideas: Probably the most delicious way to cook zucchini also happens to be one of the simplest. Salt the zucchini (as described above) and then sauté it over high heat in a pan coated with a few teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, a squirt of lemon and enjoy! For more adventurous zucchini , try The Kitchn’s Curried Zucchini Soup, Smitten’s Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza, this Chocolate and Zucchini Cake recipe, or one of my all-time favorite recipes, Epicurious’ Quinoa with Grilled Zucchini.
- Fun Fact: You can eat zucchini blossoms by sauteing them in a olive oil or frying them up in a little egg wash/flour mixture! Just make sure to eat the blossoms as possible because they begin to wilt within a day. Check out Williams-Sonoma’s recipe for Stuffed Zucchini Flowers.
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