Zucchini: A tasty, vitamin-rich veggie

Public Opinion Online
Chambersburg Public Opinion

If your backyard sports a garden with a few zucchini plants, after a while your family may be saying, "Not squash again!"
Zucchini is high in potassium; one cup has the same amount as six ounces of orange juice, another more well known source. It also contains some iron and B vitamins.
Zucchini's greatest strength may be that it is low in calories, so if you prepare it without too much fat you can eat it with impunity. As a cooking method, steaming is superior to boiling, which may cause the vegetable to go limp. Another way to keep it crunchy is to sauté it quickly in a little oil. Zucchini works well to add to a fast stir-fry. Thinly slicing and cooking in a small amount of water in the microwave works well. Top with mozzarella cheese. Slice young squash lengthwise and dip in olive oil and cook on the grill for a special treat.
Selecting zucchini is a pretty easy procedure. The younger the squash, the more tender it will be. Don't be concerned when cutting a young, fresh zucchini. They will ooze or weep with a sticky clear fluid similar to that experienced when cutting a pumpkin. It is actually a good sign of freshness. Older, larger zucchini will not be near as tender and will not exhibit the weeping characteristic of fresher ones. Picking the squash early in the morning or late evening and then refrigerating them will preserve their freshness.
When you have more zucchini than you can use, why not preserve some for the winter months ahead? Zucchini can be frozen by first rinsing with plain water to remove debris. Remove defects and slice no more than 1/2" thick and blanch for 3 minutes before cooling and freezing promptly.
Add them to soups and stews. Freezing containers of zucchini that has been run through the blender or food processor will come in handy when making a loaf of zucchini bread this winter. Pureed squash can be added to batches of spaghetti sauce without detection from little eaters! Pancakes made with grated zucchini will be moist and tasty. You can even make bread and butter zucchini pickles substituting the squash for cucumbers.
Try this zucchini that is convenient to make and freeze for the months ahead?
Baked stuffed
zucchini
8 small to medium zucchini
2 medium onions
1 clove garlic
12 sprigs parsley
3 T. cooking oil
1 c. Swiss chard or spinach, cooked and drained
11/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano leaves
1/8 tsp.pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, beaten
2/3 c. dry bread crumbs
Cook whole zucchini in boiling water 5 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut in half lengthwise; scoop out centers leaving 1/4- inch shell. Reserve pulp.
Chop onions, garlic and parsley in blender; drain off excess liquid; sauté a few minutes.
Stir in zucchini pulp, chard or spinach, salt, oregano, pepper, Parmesan cheese, eggs and bread crumbs; mix well.
Place shells on baking sheet. Fill with mixture. Place in freezer until frozen.
Remove and wrap in foil. Label; return to freezer. Recommended storage time: 2 months. Makes 16 servings.
To serve: Arrange frozen stuffed zucchini in baking pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer.
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Mary Ann K. Oyler is the Penn State Cooperative Extension family and consumer sciences educator serving the Capital Region and located in Franklin County.