I’ve had a rather busy summer.  As usual, every weekend has gotten booked with (fun) plans of various kinds, and a rather significant work project has finally come to fruition.  In this midst of all of this activity I’ve had little time to keep up here.

I’ve become increasingly interested in the whole idea of local foods, both because of the environmental benefits, and just the notion of combatting the increasing homogenization of our food and culture.  So every Saturday I can I trundle down to our local farmer’s market and buy what’s fresh and good.  Since its August, that means zucchini, and there’s more of the bright green and yellow squash than anyone could possibly know what to do with.

Here’s one suggestion. This is based on a modified version of a recipe I found at Epicurious.com, with my own simplifications.

Items

  • 2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeds and pulp scooped out to 1/3″ thickness
  • 3/4 lb ground chuck (not too lean)
  • 1/2 cup long grain white rice
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3-4 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 3 tsp salt
  • few grinds of black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp ground allspice

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, scoop out the pulp with a spoon, leaving 1/3″ or so as the hull of your little boats.
  3. Saute the onion in a little olive oil for 5-6 minutes, then add the garlic, and saute another minute.  Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
  4. Take half the onion and put it in a separate bowl.  Add the rice, 2 tsp of the salt, allspice, and a few grinds of black pepper.  Mix thoroughly with your hands, and spoon into your zucchini.  Place the  zucchini in a 9×13″ glass baking dish.
  5. Bring the remaining onion back to the heat.  Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, stock, remaining salt, red pepper flakes, and some more black pepper, and cook for 6-8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  6. Pour sauce over zucchini, and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Cook in the oven at 350F for an hour. Remove foil and finish under the broiler, spooning the sauce over the zucchini a couple of times to keep from drying out.  The dish is done when the rice are tender.

Serve with hommous and toasted pita wedges.  Serves 4.