JULY MUSINGS; CORN and ZUCCHINI

July Musings: Corn and Zucchini

          “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” may be in “Oklahoma”, but not in Maine this year. Usually I look for the first ears to appear at Beth’s Farmers Market by 4^th of July, but this year our cold and extended spring has postponed such harvest for more than two weeks. Very likely, anticipation will make those roasted ears on the grill so much sweeter.

          Zucchini has the reputation of being quite aggressive and persistent.  They fool complacent gardeners and produce unexpected results overnight and hence require constant vigilance. My vigilance was pleasantly rewarded a couple of weeks ago, when despite the cool spring, one of my plants in a pot on the patio had a first creditable zucchini to pick. It is now consistently yielding a couple of them each week. My Latino zucchini variety sports dark ridges and is more dense than other varieties.  It is wonderful grilled with just a baste of Italian dressing and when thinly sliced complements any salad. 

          Steamy summer days make us turn to cool salads and cold soups. Gazpacho is an annual favorite, especially a bit later in the summer when tomatoes become plentiful. My equal favorite is the White Gazpacho, which relies partially on cooked vegetables including zucchini and yoghurt for creamy refreshing texture and herbs for extra flavoring.

                             White Gazpacho

          Scrub and cut two 8 inch zucchini and one cucumber in 2 inch chunks. If you are using regular cucumbers, peel leaving only narrow strips of rind. Do not peel zucchini. If using overgrown zucchini with tough rind, it must be peeled.

1)    Place cut up zucchini and cucumber in a 3 quart pot and cover with 3 cups of chicken broth.

2)    Add: 1 chopped garlic clove, 2 cut up celery stalks with leaves, ½ cup chopped parsley, ½ chopped onion, 1 tsp. thyme, a dash of red pepper flakes and 1 tsp. salt.

3)    Bring to boil and cook for 20 minutes.

4)    Allow to cool and puree in a blender with 2 tblsp. white wine vinegar, Blend in 2 cups yoghurt and correct consistency with extra broth and flavoring with salt and pepper.

5)    In a large bowl stir in diced: ½ red and green peppers each, ½ seedless cucumber, 2 Roma tomatoes, 2-3 tblsp. chopped chives.

6)    Allow flavors to blend in the refrigerator and serve cold with more chopped chives or parsley on top.

Zucchini Frittata

          This dish needs to be cooked in a 9 inch cast iron or other ovenproof pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1)    In a small bowl beat 4 eggs with ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and ½ cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.

2)    Thinly slice 2 small zucchini, 3 scallions and mix with 1 chopped garlic clove and ¼ cup chopped parsley.

3)    Heat 1 tblsp. grapeseed or olive oil in pan and sauté chopped vegetables until limp and slightly golden.

4)    Pour egg mixture over the vegetables and bake for 10-12 minutes until eggs are barely firm in center of pan.

5)    Slide on serving plate and serve warm or at room temperature. Can be served as an appetizer cut in wedges or squares.

Corn and Zucchini Fritters

          Fritters are really vegetable pancakes and can be made with different vegetables. Corn and zucchini pair well in flavors, but the zucchini first needs to be salted and drained, to remove the extra liquid.

1)    Coarsely shred zucchini on a box grater to make 1 ½ cups. Sprinkle with 2 tsp. salt set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt in a sieve and squeeze dry.

2)    In a medium bowl beat 2 eggs with: ¼ cup water, ½ tsp. salt, 1/3 cup flour mixed with 1 tsp. baking powder until smooth.

3)    Stir in the eggs: ½ cup cut up scallion with greens, 7 small slices jalapeno pepper thinly sliced (optional), drained zucchini, 1 cup corn kernels (excellent if have kernels from grilled corn).

4)    Fry heaping tablespoons of the mixture in a little vegetable oil about 5 minutes to the side.

5)    Drain on paper towels and serve warm with sour cream and/or fresh salsa.

As a vegetable, zucchini is low calorie and extremely versatile in a variety of dishes from salads, soups, casserole side dishes to bread and sweet breads. As the summer progresses, even this variety may become tedious, but July still holds the novelty of plenty for this bounteous vegetable.   

 

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)