The title says it all. I grew a giant zucchini. I could make some bread out of about a third of it, but what can I do with the rest? Are there any good main dishes that you use zucchini in? Please help.

Chocolate zucchini loaf? Ratatouille?

I'm sure there are casseroles out there that use a lot of cheese and milk but I SUCK in the kitchen so may be don't listen to me?

Zucchini in a pasta dish, fried (like parm-eggplant??) over pasta, in salad...
I'm tapped.

oh minestrone!

I think just saute it with some yummy olive oil and pepper and seat salt would be yummy. Simple, but delish!

Tomato, pepper, and zucchini relish. You don't specifically taste the zucchini much, since it's more of a filler, but it adds a cool background taste.

Oh, duh. Main dish. Um...add nachos and cheese to go with it!

Green light saber?

The NY times had a bunch of zucchini recipes this weekend...including making fake pasta out of it. I'm on my blackberry, so can't reply and find the link, but it was on the most emailed list recently.

SOrry - your title made me think immediately of the Terrible Mother post...

I'm going with the saute idea. Just add some cut up tomatoes and chicken if you like that as well. The recipe I had had it served with orzo pasta. It was eaten quite often around here.
And do I need to mention the other thing you can do with a large zucchini?

Whatever you do, make sure you salt it for half an hour first. Nothing like water-logged zucchini to ruin a dish.

Slice it into strips, salt it, let it sit for half an hour, and then press the excess water out with paper towels or a dish towel. It makes the saute process much tastier.

I've also seen a recipe that calls for grating it on the big side of box grater, salting and then squeezing out the excess water and cooking it the way you would hash browns. I've made it that way before and it's mighty tasty - especially with some garlicky breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top and a squirt of lemon juice.

Ok I'm going to channel Lynn Rosetto Casper on this one. Fry up the the zucchini with sweet onions, bell pepper, and sliced spicy sausage. Serve over penne pasta and pesto.

Or slice it about 1/2 inch thick put in a ziploc bag with 3 table spoons olive oil and rosemary. Shake, grill (on low), and eat. Yum.

Or saute zucchini and artichoke hearts. Add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste. Put this on top of toasted bread of your choice but I'm going to recommend sour dough.

Damn I need to get some zucchini.

Slice it thinly, lay it in a shallow baking pan and liberally sprinkle with grated or shaved Parmesan. You can make several layers. Add some pepper and bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes, until zuke is tender, but not soggy, and cheese is melted.

You can add sliced tomatoes, if you like. I hate cooked tomatoes.

I just saw the word "main." Duh.

Our favorite zucchini dish here is grilled zucchini with spicy italian vegetarian "sausage." Super easy. Cut equal slices zuke and sausage, toss in a little olive oil and place on foil. Sprinkle with Lowry's seasoned salt. Wrap everything tight and place on grill for ten-ish minutes or until zuke is nice and soft.

Zucchini lasagna is also awesome. Use thin slices of it as a replacement for noodles.

Second the grated zucchini homefries/pancake idea. They are so freaking good. Hint: lots of kosher salt.

The zucchini pancake can go awry and you're faced with weird babyfoodish stuff though.

Some other options:

Zucchini Cheese Soup, or, Vache Qui Rit Soup, apparently a traditional French recipe beloved by kids. Our kid certainly loved it.

1 onion

2 lbs Zucchini (or squash)

2 cups stock

salt and pepper

1 pinch cumin

4 oz cream cheese mixed with herbs

1. Dice the zucchini and onion into a saucepan and add stock, salt, pepper, and cumin.

2. Bring to boil and then lower heat and simmer until veggies are tender

3. remove from heat and add cheese and puree.

4. Gently reheat to appropriate temperature.

Squash Casserole (also good with just zucchini, also VERY 80's Welcome Wagon):)

Thinly slice 1 lb each of Zucchini and Summer Squash. Add to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil for 5 minutes and then drain. While it's boiling mix together 1 cup shredded carrot (I think I used 2 cups cause we had a lot of carrots and they're good for you), 1 cup sour cream (fat free), 1 can cream of mushroom (low fat), and 1/2 cup diced onion. Add the drained squash to the mix. Place in big casserole dish. Melt some butter (3/4 to a stick) and add it to 10 oz herbed stuffing. Mix. Cover the top of the casserole with the stuffing mix. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

Also, I second (third?) the ratatouille with sausage (veggie or otherwise).

Oh Suh-nap, McG - that soup sounds delish!!!

Just because it's called the Cow Who Laughed (Laughing Cow) soup, I'll have to try it. GirlWho might never notice the vegetables.

I'd cut it into big chunks, put on skewers, marinate and grill.

Or, slice it down the middle, scoop out most of the insides, chop it up, add sauteed onion, garlic, an egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, whatever and re-stuff the insides back into the shells and bake it at 375 until it's brown and bubbly.

Yum...I'm glad there are more big guys growing out there right now so I can try all of these things!

In a few weeks I'll be asking what to do with all of these tomatoes. Who knew one little plant could grow so many tomatoes! Clearly, I'm no green thumb. And although I'm capable of cooking it's not one of the things I do best.

Ramadan is coming up ASAP, here's my favorite zucchini dish for it:

http://www.soupsong.com/rlentil3.html

I don't really care for zucchini. I like zucchini bread okay. But the only thing I really like zucchini in is zucchini crescent pie. It won some contest a long time ago. Here's a recipe (I'm sorry, I'm a failure at linking to things.):

http://www.recipezaar.com/13252

MM, I was totally on the same wavelength as you!!

Yeah, I really didn't think this was gonna be about cooking. Except in the Joni Mitchell sense of "I'm a really good cook, sitting on my groceries."

Ha! Sorry to disappoint.

Tonight I made the most DELIGHTFUL dinner, IMHO.

For me, the highlight was the veg. I had two lovely farmer's market eggplants, a big bowl of Juliet tomatoes, a bunch of basil, some onions. I salted and seasoned the eggplants in thin slices then grilled it. I sauteed onion and garlic, halved the little tomatoes, added them, let them cook for a while, added a ton of basil.

When the eggplant was done, I layered it with fat free feta crumbles and the tomato mixture. The eggplant was smoky and the whole combination of flavors was intoxicating.

And there are leftovers for lunch!

Also there were grass fed beef burgers for the boys, a chicken burger for me, and oven roasted potatoes (also from the farmer's market). It was just a delightful supper.

Sigh....

Mommagrrl - YUM! I just made sauteed eggplant last night and it was so good. But yours sounds better. I can't wait until CSA sign up.

mnm, the most impressive thing was producing this meal on a school/work night. I got home at 5:20 and this sumptuous dinner was on the table by 6:30.

I can swing that level of awesomeness maybe twice during the work week.

Zucchini pancakes (make 'em just like latkes) are indeed delicious! I highly recommend them.

Mommagrrl - is there any charge for that level of awesomeness?

And you just said the only thing that could have made that dinner sound even better - you had it on the table in under an hour!

Has anyone ever tried to cook the zucchini flower? It's supposed to be delicious. I remember a Take Home Chef made an appetizer, I think he stuffed sticks of fresh parmesan into the flower, lightly battered it, then fried it.

I have an immense love for potato latkes, so this I have to try!

Tonight I used about a half of this ginormous beast. I diced it up, salted and peppered it - let it sit for about 20 minutes then fried her up. I was planning on making a sauce to serve it with over pasta, but the zucchini plain with a bit of olive oil was enough that it needed nothing more than a little fresh grated parmesan to make it perfect. My daughter said, "This is the best dinner I've had in a long time mom!"

HBD - there are several recipes using the zucchini flower in the Silver Spoon cookbook. They look delicious.