The Gigantic Zucchini

I mentioned before that my father gave me a gigantic zucchini. I know that some vegetables lose their flavor the larger they become, and my father seemed to be thinking along the same lines when he asked if the zucchini tasted okay. The answer? A resounding YES.

I did a quick Google search for gigantic zucchini and found many, many images and recipes for zucchinis larger than mine, but this one is still five times bigger than any I’ve seen in the store. I cooked this up yesterday in two recipes, thankfully using only ingredients I had on hand as I haven't been shopping since my return from my trip.

The gigantic zucchini in a 13x9 pan. I need to ask how much it cost.

This is half the zucchini in a 13x9 pan. I used the other half to make spelt zucchini bread from Vegan Brunch, a great success I’ve already told you about. Yes, this zucchini made two full recipes.

Prior to my trip, I’d been perusing Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, a cookbook my mom gave my for Christmas (along with a slow cooker!). I figured slow-cooking was perfect for summer as a way to cook with little energy and not to heat up the kitchen. Plus, I was hoping to find some recipes that I could prepare ahead of time so I didn’t have to bother with cooking supper after work. This stuffed zucchini recipe had already caught my eye. One of the things I love most about cooking more is getting a feel for what flavors I like most and what recipes are likely to turn out well.

This recipe turned out really well. So, so good. How can I tell? I ate the leftovers for lunch, and I’d be ready to eat another helping now. Seriously. We divided the giant zucchini in to thirds and each had a third for supper, plus my third for lunch today. And if there was another piece, I can guarantee it would be gone now that I’m hungry once again.

This is a hollowed zucchini stuffed with onions, garlic, cannellini beans, diced tomato, the zucchini I scooped out, basil, and pine nuts. Plus salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil. I baked this in the oven while my zucchini bread baked and served with a side of whole wheat penne with jarred Newman’s sauce and Upton’s Naturals Italian-sausage style seitan.

My only complaint is really my fault: because this was a slow cooker recipe, some of the beans dried out in the oven. Maybe next time I’ll make a real pesto from the basil and pine nuts to add some moisture, or if my zucchini are smaller, I’ll throw all this in the slow cooker. I know that’s a really energy-efficient way to cook, so I hope to do more of that soon.