Zucchini Bowls for the Abundance Ahead!

'Tis the season for all things zucchini! If you live in a place where summer squash grows well, you know you have to pull out all the recipes to use it up when it starts to come into season. When it pops, it pops! I've had zucchini from the garden as big as my forearm after not harvesting them quickly enough. That's the other thing--they sometimes hide on you underneath the leaves so that you don't see the fruit until they're monsters! Delicious monsters, but massive ones nonetheless.

I took this photo of one of our current patty pan plants just the other day to give an idea of just how massive they are growing. I have fairly long fingers, if that helps gauge the size of the leaf. They remind me a bit of elephant ears! We had a lot of rain early in the season which worried us a bit about mildew. Luckily lately it's been warm and sunny, so our squash bed is absolutely thriving. The BF also staked up the zucchini to give it some support to grow on as they are vining like crazy.

There are so many squash growing I can't even count them! I go out and check on my babies every day, drooling at the thought of enjoying them on our plates soon. Won't be long now before we are bursting at the seams! I will happily share some of our harvest if we get as many as I think we will.

Until we get some off our own plants, I have been buying some from the farmers market as the first squash has already started popping up from my farmers. Classic zucchini, Zephyr, yellow summer squash, patty pan--you can find all the different varieties grown around here. Even our zucchini is an heirloom variety--Zucchino Rampicante--which can actually be considered a summer or winter squash. Pull it early for a tender fruit, or later for a harder skin similar to pumpkins and butternuts. I had actually forgotten what type we planted until writing this post. No wonder the Rampicante plants needed support--they'll keep on growing, and growing, and growing...

Enough about the plants, let's eat! While I used traditional zucchini in both of these, my Rampicante should work great, as well! You can easily use any of the abundant summer squash varieties in these.

First up, a Tex-Mex inspired bowl that we just enjoyed yesterday evening. The BF loves anything that could be stuffed into a burrito, and this definitely fits the bill. We enjoyed it in the bowl to start, but the leftovers would wrap up delightfully.

The accompaniments are pretty simple. Store-bought organic salsa. Homemade guacamole (just mashed avocado, lime juice and zest, and freshly snipped cilantro from the garden). A hearty portion of wheat berries on the side. I also took a little bit of a short cut with the prepared vegan chorizo sausage, but after seeing this recent study come out showing plant-based meat alternatives are in fact healthier than their traditional alternatives, I don't feel too badly enjoying the convenience on occasion.

For the veggie mixture:

1 medium onion, peeled, trimmed & roughly chopped
4 small zucchini, trimmed, halved & sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon dried ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried ground garlic
1 bunch fresh Swiss Chard (or other hearty leafy green), trimmed and roughly chopped (including stems)
1 package vegan chorizo sausage, removed from casing and crumbled or chopped
fresh lime and cilantro to garnish

Heat a large skillet over medium heat before adding the onion. Cook for about 8 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of water and stirring as needed to prevent sticking. Next add in the sliced zucchini and spices. Continuing cooking for another 8-10 minutes, or until the zucchini slices start to soften.

Finally add in the greens and sausage to heat through and just wilt the greens. Remove from heat and stir in fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Serve with the accompaniments mentioned above or your favorite toppers! I have to say--I think the guac is a must. ;)

Next meal on the pass is based on another vegan/vegetarian classic dish--beans and rice. Specifically, red beans and wild rice. I made another bag of my heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo last week and though they would work wonderfully in this. The Hidatsa Red Beans were a great new variety for me to try, and I have a few more servings frozen for later meals. I still enjoy cooking up a big batch to make meal prepping so much easier.

This bowl of course also features sautéed zucchini, this time with some other flavorings to enhance the final bowl. I cooked the beans and wild rice separately, then made the veggie mixture to bring it all together.

For the veggie mixture:

1 bulb fennel, trimmed & chopped (reserve some of the fronds for garnish)
3-4 small zucchini, trimmed, halved & sliced
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt added diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1 bunch collard greens, tough stems removed, roughly chop the leaves
2 tablespoons good dark balsamic vinegar

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped fennel. Cook for about 12 minutes, added water and stirring as needed to prevent sticking. Once the fennel is starting to get slightly browned and starting to soften, turn the heat down slightly and add the remaining ingredients up to the collard greens. Bring to a simmer and let cook until the zucchini is softened to your liking and the collard greens are tender.

Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Mix together with prepared rice and beans, adding chopped fennel fronds or some fresh dill for extra flavor. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking!

These just scratch the surface for a few ways to enjoy the abundant squash season! At least zucchini is super easy to incorporate in so many different recipes. You can eat it raw, shred it into baked goods, or make dehydrated chips like I did last season. I'm sure I'll have to get creative this year and try to come up with even MORE ways to use up all we get. Especially considering the variety we actually planted...