The Zucchini Apocalypse

Tried and True (and Delicious) Methods for Culling Your Zucchini Herd

OK — a mid-summer zucchini update: my zucchini have been very prolific this year. Not only did I NOT heed the sage words from my wife Lisa by planting 15 — Yes 15 — zucchini plants, but it has been a great year.

I have made trouchia (zucchini flat omelets, countless different preparations of zucchini blossoms, zucchini blossom beignet, petit farcis (zucchinis stuffed with ground lamb and roasted), and a host of dishes proposed by well-wishers. Here is my latest dish to use copious quantities of zucchini in a vain attempt to restore harmony in my home!

My first thought was: Am I crazy for wanting to make a heavy zucchini gratin on a hot summer day? The short answer is yes, but this year I am facing an unprecedented invasion of zucchini. Which is causing me to rethink my strategies for dealing with them. Special circumstances require special measures.

Zucchini gratin goes completely against my basic tenets of summer food: (a) It should be colorful and vibrant; (b) only eat food that can be served raw or grilled, and (c) If I can’t cook it outdoors than skip it. In fact, it is my goal to never turn my oven on in the Summer.