All-Zucchini Dinner Party

[housewolf]

I saw this article in the weekly Food section of my local paper, The Oregonian, was intrigued and wanted to share...

"Zucchini gets a bad rap. ... But I aimed to change that with a single meal: the All-Zucchini Dinner Party.
...
The Project
Turning zucchini from a burden to a bounty can be a tall order. Portland author Mykle Hansen grew up in the Midwest, where he was far too familiar with Zucchini Fatigue. At the outset of the evening (for which he graciously volunteered his backyard), Hansen joked that zucchinis produce enough vegetables to sustain a neighborhood: "Communities could organize around a single zucchini plant. Five or six families could take turns watching the zucchini." Seth Ladygo, a local programmer and admitted zucchini-hater, brought up the other main stumbling block: the subtle flavor and texture. "You're basically operating with a handicap. You can cook a steak, and you don't need to know anything, and it's delicious. The less you do the better. But zucchini you really have to work with." Turning these skeptics into zucchini-lovers in a single evening might be a tough task.

But Robert Reynolds, who teaches cooking at his Portland-based Chefs Studio, said these supposed drawbacks can be zucchini's greatest assets: "The fact that something doesn't have a huge and explosive flavor profile means that it probably goes well with many, many things. And for people who are looking for variety, it should be the ideal then, because you can put it with anything." And in a meal highlighting a single ingredient, variety is key. I wanted my guests to appreciate what Reynolds called zucchini's "delicate and vegetal" nature, winning over skeptics with recipes that highlight rather than hide its subtle flavor. And as any struggling stand-up comic knows, if you're playing to a tough crowd, it's best to make sure they start off with a nice stiff drink.
..."

She prepared a Zucchini Cocktail, a Zucchini Appetizer (Zucchini Feta Pancakes (fried zucchini w/ feta, mint, green onions & a yogurt topping)), a Zucchini Salad (grilled chunks with grilled corn & avocado, pumpkin seeds, pickled red onion & white cheese in an olive oil/lime juice dressing), a Zucchini Main Dish (middle-East inspired Stewed Xucchini with Coriander, Cilantro & Pomegranate Molasses and Vermiclli Rice Pilaf as a side dish) and a Zucchini Dessert (Zucchinie-Ginger Cupcakes with Cream Cheese-White Chocolate Frosting).

Read the rest of the article and get the recipes:
http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.ssf/2010/08/the_menu_from_a_to_z.html




(P.S. that kitchen floor makes me di..zzz...y!)

[wildflower]

1. I wondered about that floor too

whether it was the photo or the actual design.

That zucchini dinner sounds delicious. I'm always up for new zucchini ideas. And I'd been wondering lately about other ways to use zucchini in sweets besides zucchini bread.

[Warpy]

2. It looks like a checked floor with a twist

and I like it. My dream floor is black and white checked linoleum, though, green and it looks clean even when it isn't.

If I stay in this country, that's what's going down on the floor.

[Tesha]

4. I would be so messed up

with a floor like that - especially when I'm wearing my bifocals!

Are you leaving us Warpy?

[Warpy]

5. Since HCR did nothing for me,

the overpriced policies that they're forcing insurance companies to write not covering pre existing conditions, I might have to. It's getting to the point that out of pocket expenses are just plain ridiculous and Medicare is a distant proposition.

I'll be going someplace with great food, of course.

I wear bifocals, too, and that floor wouldn't bother me since the two color values are fairly similar. If they'd done it in black and white, I'd probably toss my cookies in that kitchen. In blue and navy, it's tolerable and even fun.

[beac]

3. Oh how I wish I could get "zucchini fatigue."

The #@!&(*% squash vine borers took my plants down again this year. :(

Thanks for the link. I'll use some nice farmers market zux to try a few of the recipes.

[hippywife]

6. Love the retro look

of the kitchen and their outfits. Pretty cool. :hi:

[supernova]

7. It looks like the brochure and pamphlet covers

from the 20s-50s that the Cooperative Extension Service handed out. LOL. I have a bunch of them in the cupboard with my cookbooks. :-)

I don't think I could face an all zucchini meal though.

[Warpy]

8. I think I could

because I've had a lot of the stuff separately and loved it. Zucchini cakes are especially fun, the green grated squash a little disconcerting at first, but like the texture of carrot cake once you get used to the idea.

There's enough variety in the preparation of sweets and savories to keep the dinner interesting.