You asked for it
Mary Morgan of Nashville has a recipe that belonged to her grandmother that says to “refresh” the green beans after boiling. “Can you please explain to me what that means?” she writes.
It has started! We all love to cheer the arrival of fresh zucchini, only to moan and groan when it continues to produce months later. But for now, it is a welcome sight and loaf pans everywhere are getting pulled out of the pantry to greet the arrival.
Eventually I will make zucchini bread as well, but when I pick the first ones, they go into the wok for a super fast stirfry. Then comes grilling, ratatouille, casseroles and finally the breakfast bread that adorns every Southern table at this time of year.
The key to perfect zucchini selection is to go small. If you have ever grown it, you know it is a master at hide-andseek. Even if you think you have harvested it all every day, you’ll one day find one that is as big as your arm that was somehow missed in all the picking.
Whether in the garden or in the produce department, select those that are small. I like the ones that are between 6 and 8 inches long. You tend to lose some of the crisp, fresh taste as the zucchini gets larger. After harvest, as it ages you’ll start to see soft spots or pitting in the skin. Mary, refresh means the same thing as shock. After boiling or blanching, the food is immediately chilled in ice water to stop the cooking process. Then it is drained and used as the recipe states.
There’s a host of different colors available even though the most common is dark green. Some are mottled or striped with yellow markings and some varieties are light green. Regardless of the outer skin color, the inside off-white flesh is a beautiful contrast.
Like all summer squash, zucchini is harvested while young, so peeling is not necessary unless you want to do something decorative. All you have to do is trim the ends after washing and it’s ready to use raw or cooked. Keep it refrigerated in the crisper drawer until ready to use. It keeps best in a loosely closed plastic bag.
Tammy Algood of Smyrna is the author of five Southern cookbooks. Reach her at ttalgood@bellsouth.net. Read her blog at hauteflavor.wordpress.com.