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Local Food Journey

Zucchini Recipe Contest Winners

Posted by Emily Wiley on 07/03 at 09:50 AM

Congratulations to Ashley and Ruth, winners of our June recipe contest and recipients of a bunch of organic zucchini from our friends at Jade Family Farm. Continue reading to view the winning recipes.

(1) Ashley, State College
Grated Zucchini with Eggs

• Grate 2 medium zucchinis and toss with salt. Set aside for about 1/2 hour. In the meantime, chop a small bundle of chives and set aside. When the 1/2 hour is almost up, heat a small cast iron skillet and cook 1 minced jalapeno. Squeeze the liquid from the zucchini and add to the pan. Add 3/4 of the chives, a pinch of nutmeg, grated black pepper, and 2 Tbsp fresh parsley. Cook until the zucchini is tender, then let cool for a few minutes. With a spoon, make 4 “nests” in the zucchini about 2 inches wide. Crack 4 eggs into the pan, one in each nest. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese on top and bake at 375 degrees F until the eggs have set. Garnish with the remaining chives. Serve with fresh bread.

(2) Ruth, State College
Zucchini Chips

I always end up with a zillion zucchini, some HUGE and others not so huge. It can be overwhelming. And it’s a shame that there’s such an abundance during the summer but NONE in the winter. I finally found an incredibly simple solution to enjoy zucchini all year round: make zucchini chips.

Ingredients:

• zucchini - as much or as little as you want, as big or small as you have
  salt, pepper, spices, Parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, or whatever other flavor-enhancers you wish to use (optional)

Special equipment (recommended, but not necessary):

• mandolin or vegetable slicer or vegetable peeler
  food dehydrator

Directions:

• 1. If a food dehydrator in unavailable, preheat oven to the lowest possible setting. If you have a gas oven, don’t worry about turning on the heat, the pilot light is good enough!
  2. Using a very sharp knife or slicing device, cut zucchini into rounds as thinly as you can (in my opinion, the ideal is 1/16-inch (3mm) or less, but 1/8-inch is ok).
  3. Season zucchini slices, if you want, to taste.  I suggest paprika because that’s my favorite spice!
  4. Place slices in a single layer on dehydrator trays (or, if a food dehydrator is unavailable, on baking sheets).
  5. Dehydrate at 130F until brittle, anywhere between 5-10 hours, depending on your machine. Or, if using oven, bake carefully with the door propped open (use a wooden spoon or something similar). If your oven is set at 250F, 1-2 hours will probably do it - check often. If you have a gas oven, more like 3-6 hours.
  6. When dried to desired crispness, remove from drying apparatus, cool completely, and store in an airtight container. Should be good until next year’s zucchini crop is fresh!
  7. You can also use dehydrated zucchini chips in cooked recipes that call for zucchini; just rehydrate in a bowl of clean water for a few hours or overnight. They’ll never rehydrate to the consistency of fresh zucchini, but they’ll work great in casseroles, soups, etc.