This is a wonderful salad for summer dinners shared with family and friends. Try it with pork or chicken and you have a perfect meal.
- 2 tbsp. jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. Djon mustard
- 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 lb. zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 8 oz. tiny new potatoes, halved
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped pickles
In a small bowl, whisk together the jalapeno, garlic, honey, mustard, mayonnaise and oil. Season carefully with salt and pepper. Reserve half of this mixture for the dressing.
Brush the cut sides of the zucchini with the remaining mixture . Grill on a well oiled rack on a covered grill, directly over a medium heat for 7-8 minutes, until just tender. Turn these only once.
Coarsely chop the zucchini, combine with the potatoes, egg and pickles. Add the reserved dressing, turning to coat.
This makes 6 servings.
Rustic Zucchini And Mozzarella Salad
As far as easy goes, this couldn’t get any easier if you tried. Get ready and invite the neighbourhood as you can adjust the amounts to make tons.
- 3 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch ‘planks’
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella ball, pulled into large pieces
- 2 tbsp. coarsely snipped fresh dill
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Lay the planks on a baking sheet and drizszle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Turn the barbecue on to a medium heat and place the zucchini on the grill directly. Grill for about 6-7 minutes, turning over just once to get nice grill marks on both sides.
On a serving plate, arrange the warm zucchini with the cheese balls. Sprinkle with the dill and pepper flakes. Drizzle with the lime juice and remaining 2 tbsp. of oil.
This will serve 4 people. Add a glass of vino, cheese toast and you have a lovely light meal.
In a word…..yummy!
Corn Cakes with Roasted Tomatoes
We always try to find and try new foods and combinations of foods to serve our guests. This is a new appetizer and, because fresh corn on the cob is used, is a terrific one.
- 1 large zucchini, grated coarsely
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 2 cups fresh corn kernals (3 cobs)
- 1/3 cup cornmeal, finely ground
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- 3 slices of crisp bacon per person
In a sieve, place the zucchini over a bowl and mix in a pinch of salt. Let it drain for about 30 minutes. With a wooden spoon, press down to extract all the excess water. Throw water away.
Melt 1 tbsp. of butter in pan and add the corn and cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to caramelize, Set aside to cool down.
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the dry ingredients, and then stir in the eggs, buttermilk, cooled corn and zucchini, Let rest for about 5-6minutes.
Preheat broiler, place tomatoes on a parchment lined cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Broil only until they start to split.
In a large frying pan, melt 1 tbsp. butter and drop 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan, cooking for about 3 minutes each side until golden. Add more butter, if needed, for each batch,
To serve, divide the warm cakes on each plate, and top with a sprinkle of the cheese. Place a cluster of the tomatoes beside the cakes and serve each plate with 3 slices of crisp bacon.
Serve this with a glass of Prosecco. Yummy!
Zucchini With Cheese
Boy, the Italian side of our extended family are going to love me this week.
- 1 1/2 lbs. zucchini
- 1/4 cup flour
- generous pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
- pinch of pepper
- 1/4 cup Avocado oil
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish. With a brush, scrub the zucchini well and cut into 1/4 inch slices (crosswise).
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp. oregano and pinch of pepper. Toss the slices in the flour to coat well.
Slowly heat the oil in a large skillet. Saute the zucchini until golden brown (about 4 minutes) on both sides. Drain.
Cover the bottom of the baking dish with the zucchini and top with the tomato slices. Combine the remaining ingredients and spoon evenly over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes – cheese should be melted and the zucchini tender.
Another great side dish. This will serve 6.
Zucchini Salad
With Canada Day around the corner, many communities get together to celebrate (block parties, family gatherings, picnics, neighborhood patio parties, etc) . This salad is the perfect to make and take.
- 1 small Romaine lettuce head
- 1 small Boston lettuce head
- 3 medium zucchini, washed, slice thinly
- 1 cup sliced radishes
- 1/2 cup seedless grapes, sliced in half
Wash, dry and chill greens. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, radishes and grapes. Refrigerate, covered for at least an hour.
When ready to take, tear the romaine and lettuce into bite sized pieces and add to the vegetable bowl.
Add the garlic dressing (follows) and toss the salad until everything is well coated. (Don’t over drench with the dressing).
Cover, and away you go. With all the other foods that will grace the table, there won’t be anything left over.
Dressing
- 1/4 cup salad oil
- 3 tbsp. balsamic fig vinegar
- pinch of salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- pinch of freshly ground pepper
Whisk until well combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Zucchini Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting
I was asked the other day if I had a recipe for zucchini cake. After looking through a box full of recipes, I finally found it.
You will need:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups grated zucchini
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch springform pan and at least 2 inches up the sides with parchment paper that has been lightly buttered.
Mix all the dry ingredients together and whisk in the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Carefully fold the flour in and then the zucchini and nuts. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the cake comes out clean when tested with a toothpick. Place on a wire rack and cool for a couple of hours.
Loosen the cake sides and remove the paper. Invert on a cake plate and peel off the paper from the bottom.
To make the icing, you will need:
- 4 oz. regular Philadelphia cream cheese
- 3 tbsp. room temperature butter
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon.
After beating the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, add the vanilla and cinnamon. Can be made a day ahead. Just keep covered and in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!