Zucchini Hash

Zucchini season is almost over, at least in my neck of the woods, so I thought I better get this recipe out now!

I said "recipe" but it's not really a recipe. It seems I have an aversion to writing my own recipes, especially when it's something I just whip up. When I get started in the kitchen, it's like I'm in a frenzy. I always think I should write everything down, but I rarely do. I feel it suppresses my creativity. Not that this dish is very creative; it's pretty basic but you know what I mean!  

Zucchini Hash

The ingredients can be changed to suit you and how many you're serving. Here's what I used:

1 large russet potato, or 2 medium, chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 medium zucchini, or 2 small, chopped 

About 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley, loosely packed

Extra virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon

Celery seed, a sprinkle or about 1/4 teaspoon (a chopped celery stalk would be fine but I didn't have any)

Pepper to taste

Cut the russet potatoes very thin and chop. Dice onion and zucchini. Saute onion in about 1 teaspoon of olive oil until soft. Remove and set aside. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and saute potatoes until tender. Add onion, celery seed, and zucchini until zucchini is heated through to your liking. I usually don't let zucchini get mushy. Add chopped parsley, pepper to taste, stir, and serve.

I didn't take too many pictures of the process, the kitchen in the cottage we rented was dark. 

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This zucchini hash was made while we were on vacation in July when I was taking a break from my blog. I still remember the flavor, though, and it went well with various dishes that week and even as a snack by itself. It went nicely with our eggs that morning, made a great side dish to grilled steak another night. It can even make a great meal by itself - for a little protein, add your favorite beans or cheese.

We brought our own garden parsley and zucchini to the cottage we rented at the beach, but we're lucky to be near this farm where we bought the russet potatoes and onions, among many other delicious foods that week.

I was also lucky to capture this scene, during a walk one morning, of two cows shading another!

We had great weather.

Enjoyed a full moon over the ocean.

Captured a sunset behind a flag raised for Independence Day.

Went fishing.

Saw Man Of La Mancha at this charming and very professional theatre. Love the little windmills in the flower pots!

And collected sea shells.

Roasted Zucchini Medallions, Cheesy Wild Rice With White Beans, Tomato Coulis

Is it a stuffed zucchini? I'm not sure what to call this vertical creation, but that's what I was thinking about when I started making dinner - stuffed zucchini. The kind we're all familiar with that's sliced lengthwise, seeded, and overflowing with our favorite stuffing.

But while looking at the zucchini I had just picked, I noticed some larger ones and my mind starting working.

And before I new it, this dish was created.

How it was done

This dish works best with a wider zucchini to get a sturdy base. But, if you can't find one, slice a regular size zucchini on a diagonal to create a large enough base to build on.

Rice
Start by cooking rice according to instructions on the package. I used a 1 cup of rice portion.

While the rice is simmering . . .

Zucchini
. . . slice zucchini somewhere between 1/2 to 1 inch thick slices. Sprinkle a little extra virgin olive oil on a baking sheet, lay out zucchini slices and sprinkle them with a little more extra virgin olive oil. Season lightly with pepper. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven and slice size.

Check zucchini after 15 minutes or so. I don't like mushy zucchini so I tested for firmness and continued roasting a few more minutes until I was happy with the results. Remove from oven and set aside.

Back to the rice
When the rice is almost done, mix in 1 can of drained cannellini or navy beans, heat through until water is absorbed (can also be added when rice is completely done - wild rice seems to take longer to absorb water so I got impatient!). Then add about 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese (or your favorite kind). I used Cabot Clothbound Cheddar and I thought it tasted wonderful!

I pressed the cheesy rice mixture into a small casserole dish and when cooled down a little, I used a round cookie cutter to get the shape. But, to make it simpler, the rice mixture could be scooped right out of the pan with an ice-cream scoop and placed on top of the zucchini that way.

Tomato Coulis

The tomato coulis can be made in a food processor while the zucchini and rice are cooking. I used my small food processor for convenience. 

Chop one tomato. It's the perfect time to make this with fresh garden tomatoes coming in along with the zucchini. Add tomato pieces to the food processor, a small shallot and 1 large basil leaf like I used, or 2 medium, or 3 small. Salt and pepper to taste. Garlic would have been great but I didn't have any. Other herbs would be nice also, like oregano and/or parsley.

Set rice mixture aside. Don't refrigerate - I think it dulls the tomato flavor. The zucchini and rice can be made ahead but I think making the tomato coulis before serving will produce the freshest flavor.

Make it look pretty and serve!

Medium rare inside = perfect!

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Leftovers

My daughter made her own creation one night with some of the zucchini medallions and coulis - she added leftover salsa, Parmesan cheese, and torn bread! And the rice mixture was a side dish with lunch one day. The last bit was lunch by itself another day.

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad, Apples With Celery Leaves

Using up some vegetables before they spoiled, I made this simple roasted vegetable quinoa salad. Not much to it. Anything could be used really. This isn't really a recipe, it's just an idea.

Coarsely chop vegetables, here is a red bell pepper, zucchini, and small eggplant. 

Prepare the roasting pan with sprinkles of olive oil, season vegetables lightly with salt and pepper, squeeze juice from half a lemon. Roast in 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes until vegetables soften a little but not mushy.

Sprinkle with some minced fresh oregano, which is all I had. I think thyme would be really nice also.

Cook quinoa according to directions.  Here, I infused the water with fresh lemon and a sprig of oregano.

When done, mix it all together and serve over lettuce or pasta.

I sprinkled extra virgin olive oil and more lemon juice over the top before serving. I didn't think of it then, but a little balsamic or apple cider vinegar might be nice.

My kids liked it, my daughter loved it. And she actually told me that she appreciated the fresh food after eating out all weekend!

They preferred it with their favorite salad dressing. I served it with grated parmesan cheese, but feta would have been great. Or yogurt.

I also wanted to use up the apples before they went bad, so I sliced them up and sprinkled some chopped celery leaves on top.