ZUCCHINI CROQUETTES

These wonderful little cakes taste, oh, so good. Cook them in a ring to hold their shape, but, don’t squeeze out that juice.

In a medium-size bowl, lightly beat

1 egg.

Coarsely grate

2 zucchini

into the beaten egg. Cut

1 small onion

in quarters, slice thinly and add to the bowl along with

chopped parsley.

Makes 6 croquettes.

ZUCCHINI DOGS

A vegetarians weenie roast. These could even be roasted on a stick.

Roast

whole small zucchini

in a 350° F oven until they are tender. Place on

hot dog buns

and serve with

mustard, relish, ketchup, chopped onions, etc.

Serve hot.

ZUCCHINI BREAD & BUTTER PICKLES

I prefer these to the originals made with cucumbers.

In a 6 or 8 quart stainless steel or enamel pan, combine

4 quarts zucchini (15 to 20 squash), thinly sliced, and 1 quart onions, thinly sliced.

In another stainless steel or enamel pan, combine

1 quart vinegar 2 cups sugar 3 tablespoon salt 2 teaspoon celery seed 2 teaspoon turmeric or dill seed and 1 teaspoon ground mustard.

Bring to a boil and pour over the sliced vegetables. Let stand for one hour. Meanwhile, sterilize 7 pint jars and their lids. Bring the pickles back to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Pack in hot, sterilized jars to within 1/4-inch of the top and seal at once.

Makes 7 pints.

The female blossom has the squash already formed just behind the blossom. The male blossom stands on the end of a straight stem (Fig. 1). Harvest the male blossoms by reaching part way down the stem and breaking off the blossom..

SQUASH BLOSSOM AND CREAM CHEESE OMELET

Peel, strip, separate and chop

4 squash blossoms.

In a small bowl, beat

2 eggs with

salt and pepper, to taste.

In a fry pan over medium heat, melt

1 tablespoon butter or margarine.

Pour beaten eggs into the fry pan and dot with.

1 ounce cream cheese

cut in small chunks. Sprinkle with chopped squash  blossoms, as the omelet cooks lift up the edge with a spatula to allow the uncooked egg to run underneath. Increase heat, fold and let brown 1 minute on each side.

Serve hot.

SQUASH BLOSSOM FRITTERS

Keep your oil hot to keep the oil from becoming a sponge soaking up all the oil it can hold.

Prepare a batch of

Fritter Batter

In a mixing bowl, slightly beat

1 egg.

Mix in

1 cup milk and

1 tablespoon melted butter.

Sift

1 cup flour and

1 teaspoon baking powder

into the egg/milk mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined.

The Fritters

Preheat in a deep fryer to 350° F. Meanwhile, peel strip, separate and stack the petals of

fresh male squash blossoms.

Hold each stacked blossom together, dip it in the fritter batter and lay it into the deep fry oil. They cook quickly. Turn them once and cook until lightly brown. Drain and sprinkle with

grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve them hot as an hors d'oeuvre or as a dinner side dish..

SQUASH BLOSSOM QUESADILLAS

A squash blossom quesadilla is simple to make and delicious. They make wonderful hot hors d'oeurves, a first course in a Southwestern style dinner, or just a great snack. A quesadilla is a filled flour tortilla turnover…a hot cheese sandwich, Mexican style. While all varieties of blossom are usable, Cucurbita maxima varieties, hubbard and butterball, are more substantial adding more flavor and substance to the quesadillas.

Place on a plate

l burrito size flour tortilla.

Grate

2 ounces of fresh cheese ranchero (queso fresca ranchero) or jack cheese, or Mozzarella, i.e. a cheese partially made with skimmed milk

evenly onto one half of the tortilla. Peel and strip

4 squash blossoms.

Lay the blossoms in a curve on top of the cheese with their yellow tips close to the edge of the tortilla. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the blossoms. Finish and cook in one of the following ways:

On a grill or in a fry pan,

lightly butter or brush oil on the outside of the quesadilla. Cook until the quesadilla is lightly browned on each side.

In a microwave oven,

lay the quesadilla on a large plate and build another quesadilla to fill the other side of the plate. Moisten the tortillas by wetting your hand and wiping the top layers. Cover and heat in a microwave oven at high heat for one minute, rotate one half turn and heat for another minute.*

In a conventional oven,

lightly butter or brush oil on the outside of the quesadilla. Bake at 350°F until the cheese is melted and the tortilla lightly browned..

To serve, slice each quesadilla into four wedges and serve with guacamole, sour cream, yogurt, salsa or any combination of the above. *With the microwave method, you can leave the tips of the blossoms uncovered when folding over the tortilla giving the quesadillas a nice natural sunburst pattern.

SQUASH BLOSSOM AND CHIVES CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

In a small bowl, work

One package cream cheese

until it is soft. Strip, peel, separate and finely chop

6 squash blossoms.

Add to softened cheese along with

3 blades chives finely chopped.

Stir until well blended. Chill Serve with crackers, bread sticks or bread squares (party breads).

Preface Cucurbitaceae & The Gourd Family - Squash Summer Squash Cultivation

Irrigation Harvest Pests And Disease

Cooking Methods

Bake Boil Braise Deep Fry Grill Microwave Sauté Steam Stir-fry

Nutritional Breakdown Recipes (Comments)

Raw Zucchini Zucchini Salad Zucchini Vinaigrette Zucchini Coleslaw Green And Gold Salad Zucchini Chips Fried Zucchini Salad Quick Zucchini Steamed Zucchini Buds Sautéed Zucchini Zucchini With Onions And Sweet Basil Zucchini With Oregano Zucchini With Mixed Herbs Zucchini With Tomato Scrambled Eggs With Zucchini And Tomato Zucchini With Tomato And Eggplant Zucchini With Parmesan Cheese Summer Mix With Carrots Dogs In Zucchini Blankets Zucchini Dogs Breaded Zucchini Zucchini Sticks The Batters Fritter Batter Beer Fritter Batter Italian Fritto Batter Quick Crisp Batter Tempura Batter Zucchini Fritters Southern Fried Squash Zucchini Pasta Sauce Ratatouille Zucchini Croquettes Scalloped Zucchini And Tomatoes