Zucchini Chips & etc.

Someone passed along a recipe for baked zuke chips and I was wondering if anyone has done this with success.
The annual dilemma of what to do with the abundance of zucchini squash that explodes from the garden every year is almost upon us. In a few weeks the neighbors will be hiding and not answering the doorbell in fear that I will attempt to foist more of this squash upon them. So, what do you do with them besides feeding the compost pile?
I generally don't care for them stuffed (maybe I've never had the right prep), but do like them sauteed in a medley of other veggies and never will turn down a loaf of NJ's fresh baked zuke bread.

Not a problem for us city boys, but one idea comes to mind immediately: soup, cold or hot. Most other squashes can be pureed, seasoned, and served.

Now would be a great time to make zucchini, cranberry, pecan bread, with orange zest. It is beautiful for the holidays, lots of color. I make it in those small loaf pans...I think one batch would fill about 4 of those. I freeze them and give them as gifts at Christmas. Zucchini relish is great for burgers, hot dogs, potato or macaroni salads, all year long. Or as gifts.

Here are three of my favorite recipes using zukes.

Swiss Steak with Invisible Zucchini
2 lbs round steak, cut into serving pieces
1/2 cup flour
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
sea salt and freshly gr. pepper to taste
3 cups zucchini peeled (I don't peel, unless they are large) and diced
1 sliced onion
4 stalks sliced celery, strings removed
1 green pepper cut in chunks
2 cups tomatoes, canned or fresh tomatoes, skin removed

Flour round steak, then pound on both sides. Brown in hot oil, season to taste. Pour off any excess oil from pan. Turn down heat, put zucchini around steak pieces; cover with sliced vegetables. Add tomatoes. Cook slowly for 3 hours or until steak is fork tender. Any extra juices may be evaporated at end of cooking time by simmering uncovered. Serves 4

If you don't care for Cream of Mushroom soup, don't even bother with the next recipe.

Zucchini Tosca

4 cups peeled and cut up. (I never peel unless large)
1 medium onion diced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. chopped pimento
1-1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter
1 can Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp celery seed

Steam zuke and onion until tender. Add salt, pepper and pimento, let drain in colander. Sauté crumbs in butter. Alternate layers of zuke, soup, crumbs, in buttered casserole or individual dishes. Repeat layers. Cover with cheese and sprinkle with celery seed. Bake 350° for 25 minutes, less for individual dishes. Serves 6 as a side dish.

Here is a good cheese stuffing:
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
freshly gr. pepper
zucchini pulp
tomato paste thinned with water or broth, add oregano
fresh dill

Sauté onion in butter, mix in remaining ingredients. Bake in steamed zucchini shells at 350° for 1/2 hour. Top with the tomato paste mixture, sprinkle with fresh dill on top.

Eat the blossoms BEFORE they fruit....I have to pray that I will find a "missed" one in the brush because my husband harvests the flowers daily and expects them as appetizer whenever there are enough. This , of course, is daily because he plants at least 8 different varieties each year. As a consequence, I have no fear of frying.
It is interesting to me because I vary the flour, the liquid, the seasoning and the stuffing with each batch looking for the "ideal". Needless to say, I've never made them the same twice. I am most fond of a bit of basil wrapped around a bit of goat cheese or herbed ricotta mixedwith a lot of grated Parm/Romano.
In Pisa this spring, my cousin stuffed very long flowers with whole langoustines ....spectacular.
So....I never have enough fruit to do anything with....

They sell the blossoms at our Farmer's Market here, a small sandwich size bag for $5.00! I like the ones that have a baby zucchini attached.

They sell the blossoms at our Farmer's Market here, a small sandwich size bag for $5.00! I like the ones that have a baby zucchini attached.

That is how I thin out the overabundace of squash, I pick and use the flowers (with or without baby squash), stuffed battered and fried etc. Delicious and SOOO much cheaper and fresher
than buying them.

From Poopa Dwek‘s Aromas of Aleppo:

kusa b’jibn: zucchini-cheese frittata
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
2 pounds zucchini or yellow squash chopped (about 5 cups)
1 onion finely chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 eggs, beaten
1 pound Muenster cheese, grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter, cut into 6 pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large skillet saute the squash and onion in the vegetable oil for 8 minutes, or until the squash is crisp-tender.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, squash-onion mixture and salt. Stir well
Pour the contents into a 2-quart baking dish. Dot the top of the mixture with butter. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

I like serving this with some nonfat Greek Yogurt

Eat the blossoms BEFORE they fruit....I have to pray that I will find a "missed" one in the brush because my husband harvests the flowers daily and expects them as appetizer whenever there are enough. This , of course, is daily because he plants at least 8 different varieties each year. As a consequence, I have no fear of frying.
It is interesting to me because I vary the flour, the liquid, the seasoning and the stuffing with each batch looking for the "ideal". Needless to say, I've never made them the same twice. I am most fond of a bit of basil wrapped around a bit of goat cheese or herbed ricotta mixedwith a lot of grated Parm/Romano.
In Pisa this spring, my cousin stuffed very long flowers with whole langoustines ....spectacular.
So....I never have enough fruit to do anything with....

I've experimented with a variety of fillings on these as well, but never anything like a langoustine! That must have been pretty amazing.

We used to grow these until I concluded that any recipe that included zucchini was just as good or better without zucchini (although I don't mind them as filler in soups). We dug them up and no longer had the -problem of what to do with them - had the same issues of people not answering the door in Zuke season.

I suggest going cold turkey, or take them and spin them up in a Cuisinart and drink the result until you feel able to take my suggestion of zucchini scorched earth policy - shouldn't take that long to get into that frame of mind.

Well, before I could try the zuke chips recipe, my zucchini plants succumbed to vine borers (that's my best guess). Death was sudden, swift and unexpected. I've replanted a couple of hills in my other garden and should be able to harvest some before first frost.