Zucchini Is Forever.....

OK, for those of you that plant zucchini, you know that sooner or later, you're going to have to be more creative than you could ever imagine to use it all. I've pickled the stuff to resemble bread & butter pickles, made relish from it, fried it, put it in casseroles, roasted, stir fried, pan fried, steamed it ... and still, more zucchini than I can handle.

Like my summer squash casserole, here's another recipe that I truly enjoy. I can't take credit for it as it was created by my mother ... but I sure make enough of it in the summer months. It's my mom's take on Eggplant Parmesean. My dad has never been too big on eggplant but he sure loves zucchini. And let me tell you ... not another person on the planet has the touch with frying zucchini like my mother. She peddles it around the neighborhood and all her next door friends clamor for the stuff! But sometimes, she'd make this amazing creation that we called "Zucchini Parmesean" ... it has the same components as eggplant parmesean but something about the sweetness and tenderness of the zucchini truly transforms this dish.

It's really easy, can be a lower fat meal, but the only downside is that it's a bit time comsuming to prepare. Because of that, I usually make two of them and cover a second casserole dish to put in the freezer for another time!

Oh, and PS..... if you "lose" a zucchini on a plant and it gets a little too large, these are the best to use for this as they'll get cooked twice and certainly soften up in the oven!

Zucchini Parmesean

• 2 medium zucchini (about 3 pounds total), sliced in 1/8" discs
• 2 eggs
• 4 tblsp of milk
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• Lowfat oil for frying (canola works best and is the best for you!)
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes (or a good quart of home canned ones)
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  
• 2 tblsp minced fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 tblsp minced fresh basil (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
• Parmesean cheese (the good stuff - a wedge, not the grated plastic container kind!)
• 8 oz (approx 2 cups) shredded mozzerella cheese (part skim or whole milk)

You can start my making the sauce portion of the dish by putting 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a kettle. As it heats, empty the can (or jar) of tomatoes and can of tomato paste into a blender and puree until smooth. As soon as the oil is hot, put the minced garlic into the pot and stir. Don't let the garlic brown but simply flavor the oil. Add the tomato mixture to the pan, stir and set the heat to a slow simmer. Add the salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and stir. (You might want to add a tablespoon of sugar to counteract the acid in the tomatoes ... some do, some don't ... it's totally up to your taste buds!). If using dried basil and parsley, add those now as well. Let the mixture simmer until it thickens. If you're using fresh herbs, 5 minutes before the sauce is done, add the basil and parsley and stir to blend the flavors. I usually make the tomato sauce while I'm preparing the zucchini slices and "kill two birds with one stone", as it were.....

While the sauce is cooking, prepare the zucchini. Start by heating about 1/4 inch of canola oil in a skillet. Mix the 2 eggs with the 4 tablespoons of milk in a shallow bowl and blend thoroughly. Put the flour into another bowl. Dip each slice of zucchini into the egg mixture and transfer to the flour to coat well. Prepare enough slices to fit into the skillet. When the oil is hot, add the zucchini slices and cook until golden on one side, flip and finish the second side. Depending on how tender the zucchini is, cooking time will vary. As the are finished, layer the fried zucchini slices on a platter or tray lined with paper towels to absorb any additional grease. Repeat until the zucchini slices are completed. You may need additional flour and another egg to complete the process (again, depending on how big the zucchini are).

In a 9 x 13 pan, place a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce on the bottom to keep the zucchini slices from sticking. Start with a layer of fried zucchini slices and grate a fresh layer of parmesean cheese on top. Add some of the shredded mozzerella and then top with about another 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. It should not be "soupy", just enough to flavor the next layer. Repeat by stacking zucchini, parmesean, mozzerella and sauce until you are finished with the zucchini. Top the casserole with the remaining shredded mozzerella and some more parmesean cheese. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese layer on top has melted and started to look golden brown.

This is a great vegetarian main dish. And again, there are a lot of elements you can control to make this your own. If you don't like the small bit of heat, omit the crushed red pepper. Adjust spices and salt level to your taste buds. If you feel like a heartier casserole, fry the zucchini slices in egg and breadcrumbs. For a full flavor-full fat version, use whole milk mozzerella (it's my favorite because I like when the cheese stretches and oozes) but you can certainly cut the calories by using already shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese. The only thing I suggest is that when if comes to parmesean, DON'T use a plastic container that sprinkles parmesean. Go the extra mile and get the real deal ... a solid wedge that you have to grate yourself. If you've never used it, you're in for a treat! And I promise, you'll never go back to the ol' plastic jar again. Until next time, as always, ciao!