What is your favorite summer vegetable?

For me, there is no summer without zucchini.  By the way, doesn’t the word “zucchini” sound Italian to you? It is a plural diminutive Italian word for “zucca” which means “squash”.

Although squash came to Europe from Americas, those varieties of green or golden cylindrical squash, named zucchini, were cultivated in Italy, near Milan and in Tuscany in the 19th century. Zucchini were eventually brought to America by the Italian immigrants.

I love both the squash and the blossom. Deep-fried blossoms are utterly addictive, but they are hard to come by, while the squash is abundant in the summertime.

I like it cut into circles and simply sautéed in olive oil with salt and pepper, or stuffed with ground meat. And, of course, I like my Mom’s kabachkovie oladyi (zucchini pancakes) for breakfast.

Those who lived in Odessa, Ukraine, know that kabachok (russian zucchini) is an integral part of summer cooking in all imaginable forms. One cannot picture summer in Odessa without ratatouille or, as they say in Odessa, “sauté”, and “kabachok” is the major ingredient.

So let’s cook the summer squash and loose some weight in a healthy nostalgic way while enjoying the meal.

Let’s start with the simplest side dish – Fried zucchini.

First – cut zucchini into circles. Zucchini are watery and to avoid them turning mushy while frying, sprinkle some salt on the the circles and let them stand for a few minutes. Pat them dry and simply fry them on both sides in oil. Sprinkle some fresh  chopped garlic and freshly ground pepper. Arrange on a plate and serve as a side dish. They are delicious in their simplest and pure form without added flour or breadcrumbs or cheese, which feature in many recipes.

Zucchini Pancakes.

These are irresistible and simply perfect for breakfast. I need two whisked eggs, 1 cup of kefir, a pinch of salt, a tbs of olive oil, two cups of flour, sweet onion (optional), a pinch of sugar and three or four  cups of coarsely grated zucchini – all mixed together and fried in olive oil on both sides.

For crispier results, drain liquids from shredded zucchini before mixing with the other ingredients.

Do not procrastinate. Eat immediately, while they are hot, with thick yogurt.

Stuffed zucchini – a perfect dinner.

Cut each zucchini into three or four parts after trimming the very ends. Using a special knife or a teaspoon carefully hollow the middle of each piece for stuffing.

The removed part with the seeds will be used in stuffing together with ground meat, onion, herbs and spices. Mix the stuffing well and fill hollow zucchini parts with the stuffing using your hands. Press the stuffing inside and trim the ends with the knife.

Fry in olive oil on both sides to seal the stuffing and then place them into a deep iron oval pan with the sauce. If I have leftovers of stuffing after I filled all hollow zucchini, I make meatballs and place them into the sauce together with stuffed zucchini.

You can also bake them at 400 degrees for about 20 – 30 min and then serve with creme fraiche.

For sauce, I fry dry spices for aroma, then I add olive oil, sauté coarsely chopped onion, tomatoes, celery, garlic, parsley, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar, then I add 2 cups  of vegetable or chicken broth, a tbs of sour cream or fraiche, two cups of tomato sauce, bring all to a boil and simmer for 10 min.

Once stuffed zucchini are in the saucepan, let them simmer under the lid for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let  them stand for 20-30 min.

Serve with a ladle of sauce and warm flatbread. Dip bread into the sauce. Add a spoon of sour cream or creme fraiche (optional)  and chopped parsley leaves on top.

Fantastic!

Eat the summer squash and enjoy its benefits and deliciousness.

P.S. All the food featured in this post has been prepared and photographed by me.