Stuffed Zucchini

"This is so good, it 's the goodest thing in the world. That's not right, because you are the goodest thing in the world, Mommy. This is the goodest thing after you."....An exact quote from Sophia after she tried the stuffed zucchini. It doesn't get much better than that, especially since she did not like zucchini the last time I made it and tomatoes are at the top of her Yuck list. Just another example that perseverance is key to avoid a picky palate. She even asked for seconds! I was planning to save the last little zucchini boat for today's lunch, but who am I to deprive my child of more vegetables? 

It seems we are getting into summer squash or zucchini season. Last week, I brought home 1 yellow squash from the farm. This week we were offered 6! Of course, I shared the bounty with my veggie partner so I really came home with 3. One of them was huge, so I immediately grated that to be frozen. We are looking forward to heating up our household in the cooler months by baking either zucchini bread or zucchini muffins. Sophia has her heart set on muffins, so that is what we will most likely make. I will keep you posted in the coming months of our adventures with all the CSA veggies we have preserved through freezing, canning, and drying. Have I mentioned how much I love my CSA at Snipe's Farm?? Seriously, I found my happy place. Visiting the farm to pick up our vegetables is always a major highlight of my week.

We are also definitely getting into tomato season, which excites me tremendously! We went from bringing home one tomato last week to 10 tomatoes plus some pick your own cherry tomatoes. As the weekly amount gets larger, fingers crossed, I hope to learn how to make my own tomato sauce and put it up for the winter. The prospect of not having to buy all that processed crap as well as cutting down on imminent packaging that comes along with it warms my heart. It may be a bit of extra work, but so worth it. Plus, less to spend in the middle of winter on groceries!

My Meatless Monday meal consisted of mainly zucchini and tomatoes. Within the stuffed zucchini, the majority of the ingredients came directly from my farm. I served them alongside fresh picked green beans and some brown rice. This was definitely a fresh, local, and seasonable meal.

• 2 medium sized zucchinis, ends removed
• a handful of cherry tomatoes, diced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (or yeast crumbles, if you are vegan)
• 4 Tbsp Bread crumbs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp basil

 Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using tongs, place zucchinis in the water. Boil for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350. While zucchinis are cooling, heat oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and oregano to garlic and let simmer. Once zucchini is cool enough to handle, slice in each in half. Use a spoon to scoop seeds and flesh out of the middle, making zucchini boats. Chop flesh and add to the garlic and tomato mixture. Toss in breadcrumbs, mix and let cook on low for a minute or two. Scoop mixture into zucchini boats and place them on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes.

Some stuffed zucchini recipes include meat, a lot of them include rice. Rice takes way too long to cook on its own to be an ingredient for a week day meal. I decided to make the rice and the stuffed zucchini at the same time, so I could just serve the zucchini on a bed of rice. Usually, I cook more rice than I need for one night, so I have leftovers to serve with another meal during the week. It's all about saving time and money, while trying to eat as healthy as possible.