Zucchini Bake

Heads up that "Sneak Some Zucchini on to Your Neighbor's Porch Night" is coming up on August 8th.

I plan on hanging a sign on my front porch to welcome sneaky neighborly zucchini dropper off-ers.

If nothing happens, I'll feel like Linus in "The Great Pumpkin." Vaguely depressed. Except I WON'T be waiting to see the Great Zucchini rise out of the zucchini patch. My dedication level isn't quite there. I can't be completely depressed, like Linus, because my dedication level isn't quite like his.

Frankly, if you have enough zucchini to sneak on to a neighbor's porch, I want to know your secret.

I have two zucchini plants and finally have plucked two misshapen zucchinis. I almost don't want to use them because I want to show my two ugly zucchinis off to the world.

Like, I legitimately grew something. I didn't kill it. It survived! It feels so...so...cannibalistic to eat something that I grew.

But that would kind of defeat the purpose of growing them, right?



And so there are two zucchinis sitting in a basket on my counter begging to fulfill their destiny to live happily in someone's belly. Since they're so special to me, they can only be used in the right recipe.

My mom has made this zucchini quiche bake thing for as long as I can remember. It's not summer if we don't make this at least five times.

We make it that often because it uses up the abundance of zucchini.

This zucchini bake is kind of like a quiche and it can be served hot or cold. I like it luke warm with a mesclun salad, but that's just me. Or maybe some sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt and pepper on the side.

If you have fresh herbs in your garden, you can put them to good use.

If you make this recipe using eggs from your own chickens and cheese from your own cow, I will hang a picture of you up in my house because of your awesomeness.

Don't forget - 8/8 is Sneak Some Zucchini on to Your Neighbor's Porch Night. If you feel so inclined, feel free to sneak some zucchini or chocolate zucchini bread on to mine. K?











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Mozzarella Zucchini Bake





Recipe adapted from Pampered Chef

2 8oz cans reduced fat refrigerated crescent rolls
2 Tbls butter
8 cups thinly sliced zucchini
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
3/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbls chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
1 1/2 tsps chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs and 4 egg whites (or 4 whole eggs)
4 cups shredded part skim Italian blend cheese (or 3 cups mozzarella and 1 cup parmesan)
3/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Press rolls into and up sides of a 9x13 pan. Pinch all the seams to seal. Set to the side.

Melt butter in a large skillet and saute the next seven ingredients (zucchini through garlic) until the zucchini and onions are tender. Add water to the pan if necessary. Or butter. Because butter is better. But only if you can live with the guilt. I can't. So I use water.

In a separate, large bowl, combine the eggs, egg whites, cheese, and salt.

Gently toss zucchini with egg mixture.

Pour into crust and bake 35-40 minutes or until the center is set.