Monday, July 15, 2024
Good afternoon!
Fresh peach vinaigrette! [The Department of Salad]
Fresh tomato tart! [David Lebovitz]
Every summer I share new recipes with summer squash and zucchini* and then people message me and tell me how much they don’t like zucchini and I say, “Oh, me too!” And I love to see the confused looks on all of your faces. But it’s true! I find it challenging: slippery, soft, easily bland, and often cooked terribly. I totally get why it’s not naturally gravitated towards, not like a glorious summer peach or an ear of crunchy, sweet bicolor corn. But it grows so inexpensively and plentiful in the summer, I like taking on the challenge of trying to find as many ways as possible to make it objectively delicious. Below, a difficult-to-whittle-down showcase of 10 longtime favorites — plus another 22 more in the site archives! And come tomorrow, that number will be 23 as I share a new recipe for braised chickpeas with zucchini and pesto.
*An important summer PSA: Zucchini is a type of summer squash. When a recipe calls for zucchini, almost any other kind summer squash works too and the reverse is true. If you are already know this, huzzah. But I didn’t always know this, so perhaps it helps you too.
Cheers!
Deb
zucchini carpaccio salad
A ribbony, lemony, salad that's flecked with parmesan, punctuated with arugula, and exactly as refreshing as it looks.
zucchini and ricotta galette
Basil, ricotta, mozzarella, garlic and coins of zucchini assemble in what is basically a flaky nest of high summer and a forever Smitten Kitchen favorite.
grilled zucchini ribbons with pesto and white beans
Ribbons of grilled lemony zucchini wind around white beans that have been rolled in a pesto vinaigrette, then finished with a blanket of grated parmesan is basically all I want to eat right now.
summer squash gratin with salsa verde
Are you suspicious of summer squash and zucchini casseroles? This preparation converts everyone: crunchy, complex with herbs and seasoning galore, then just enough cheese to pull it together.
herbed summer squash and potato torte
There's no such thing as too much zucchini; it's just more excuses to make this crazy delicious crispy-edged easy summer dinner. We have wedges with salad for a light meal; grilled sausages for a heartier one. I have never regretted making two.
kefta and zucchini kebabs
Tiny spiced lamb or turkey meatballs and coins of marinated zucchini are grilled on skewers and served with a minty garlic yogurt sauce. I always wish I made these more often because I don't think it's possible to get tired of a combination this delicious.
zucchini butter spaghetti
This is my new favorite simple summer pasta, just a heap of zucchini cooked until it has melted into a puddle of butter and garlic, laced with a little heat, then tossed with basil, parmesan, and spaghetti. And it's perfect: cozy, seasonal, and simple enough to be made anywhere. I hope it becomes your favorite, too.
zucchini quesadillas
Not just any quesadillas, but filled with zucchini that's been cooked until tender and concentrated, then stuffed into bronzed tortillas with messy, lacy brown edges that form when the melted cheese lands on and crisps in the skillet. We eat those first.
zucchini, ham and ricotta fritters
This early SK recipe makes a few thick and surprisingly hearty dinner pancakes that work well with whatever ingredients you have around. Add a simple salad and Wednesday night dinner is as easy as it should be.
ultimate zucchini bread
This is it, the best zucchini bread I've ever made and I hope the last recipe you'll ever need. It's tall with a craggy, crunchy top, has a significant amount of zucchini inside, can be mixed in one bowl (with a fork, no less) and even tells you how to store and when to eat it for Peak Zucchini Bread Bliss. It's a thing, or we're going to make it one. [Video below!]
I’ve written three cookbooks and I’m a tiny bit biased, but I think you’d love them all. Wondering what you might cook from Smitten Kitchen Keepers for these warm summer days? I thought you’d never ask! Try the zucchini cornbread and tomato butter, two-bean salad with basil vinaigrette, spinach spiral bread, tomato and corn cobbler, and lamb skewers with crackly vinegar glaze. To finish, I recommend the big crumb pie bars, the blondie chipwich, and/or the strawberry summer stack cake. Were you looking for a list of all the recipes in each of my cookbooks? I’ve added these in a separate page and hope it makes it easier for you to find everything you want to cook.
My podcast with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, The Recipe with Kenji and Deb, launched this spring. Our tenth episode and season finale is the second of a two-part Mailbag episode where we answer as many of your questions as we can. You can listen to it anywhere you get your podcasts and I’ve set up a podcast tab/page where you can keep up on it here, too. I hope you’ve enjoyed listening along to season one.
ultimate zucchini bread
shop my favorites
Ever wonder where I get my cutting boards, paring knives, offset spatulas and more than you see when I cook? I've created a page on Smitten Kitchen with links to some of my favorite kitchen items, the ones I'm asked about the most — yes, including the the Smitten Kitchen x Staub Braiser, which is back in stock! For each item, I've attempted to provide a range of shopping links so we're not just focusing on one giant retailer.
See you next week!
