Oops, I have too much is a blog series dedicated to the inevitable abundance of seasonal produce. Whether you grew it in your garden, got it in your CSA box or just couldn’t resist buying beautiful seasonal produce at the grocery store or farmer’s market, I’ll give you ideas for delicious ways to use your excess food + tips to preserve it for later so it won’t go to waste.
What to do with zucchini
Can I get a high five for too much zucchini, please? It seems that every summer, for a week or two, everyone with access to any zucchini suddenly has tons. Luckily, it’s versatile, nutritious and delicious.
When picking or buying zucchini, look for small- to medium-sized ones. They tend to get bitter as they grow bigger.
Storing zucchini
Short term:
Refrigerate whole zucchini, unwashed, in the crisper drawer for up to a week.
Long term:
Zucchini is a tricky one to preserve long-term, in my experience. I have tried to grate and freeze it in the past, but it loses a lot of moisture, which is an important asset when it comes to baking with it. I’ve had the best results baking it into recipes first, then freezing that for later. (If you have a different experience, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!)
Quick & easy
- My personal favorite way to use zucchini
Shred the zucchini, skin and all, using a box grater or a food processor. Use it to make my aunt Diane’s Zucchini Bread, found at the bottom of this Herbal Turtle blog post. It comes together really quickly, tastes amazing, and freezes really well. (Also available on that link: Zucchini Feta Pancakes.) - Throw them on the grill
Slice into 1/4″ discs, baste with olive oil, and grill for 2 minutes on each side. Or, if you have a little more time, try this recipe for marinated grilled zucchini from the Pioneer Woman. - Add chopped zucchini to pasta sauce, quiche, pizza or chili
- Chop into pieces and add to a quinoa salad like this one (pictured below). Can you tell how much I love this salad, since I’ve mentioned it three times in the last month?
More recipe ideas to use zucchini / summer squash
- Crispy zucchini & potato pancakes (like super fancy italian hash browns – I’ve made this at least a dozen times)
- Baked zucchini chips (mmm…dipped in ranch)
- Zucchini corn pancakes
- Stuffed zucchini (also known as zucchini boats!)
- Spicy vegetarian chili
- Zucchini tots!
Share your own zucchini recipes below!
