D.C Takeover / Zucchini Takeover
Military helicopters flying overhead, tanks in the streets, my zucchini is out of control and so is the president.
Right. So, for those of you who don’t know, I live in D.C. I grew up here, went to live abroad for 20 years, and recently moved back. I spent a decade working as a journalist, in and out of war zones and dictatorships in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. On the eve of Trump’s big announcement that he was sending in the National Guard, I was awakened in the dead of night by unusual helicopter movements that I did not like one bit.
Army choppers don’t sound or move the same way as civilian ones do. Even though it’s been 10 years since I left the profession, some memories die hard. My heart goes out to anyone who recently returned from a theater of operations, or who suffers from war-related PTSD, who like me could not sleep most of last week for the constant flyovers day and night.
The photograph above of a tank in front of Union Station was sent by a federal employee who works nearby, with the caption “Shake Shack secure. Over.” So glad the boys are here to protect favored Capitol Hill lunch spots, and to circle over the upscale, sleepy neighborhood of Chevy Chase in pursuit of marauding youths.
Needless to say, these developments are distressing, and will have far-reaching, unintended consequences. The demise of our democracy aside, even the food industry is feeling the effects. Restaurant patronage was down 31% last week.
That potentially means more of you are at home in the kitchen, looking for ways to escape the madness, and trying to coordinate a crisis response to the current zucchini takeover. Me? I walk over to the zucchini patch in the mornings with trepidation now. Just when I think it’s safe, I find another one hiding in the tangle of leaves. They’re like snipers lying in wait, ready to assassinate all my non-zucchini recipe ideas for the week.
Even if you’re not growing any yourself, by now, chances are a friend has tried to pass one off to you. I “gave away” three last week. Surely you’ve heard the long-standing joke about not leaving your car windows open this time of year so gardeners don’t fill it with zucchinis. But did you know about the Zucchini Wars of 1990? Serious stuff.
National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day was August 8. So if you got hit, I’m sorry. These recipes are for you. If you’ve been spared, check back next week. I’ll be featuring some French classics, including one of my favorite, effortless desserts…
ZUCCHINI SALAD
Here’s a really light dish to start any summer meal with bright, refreshing notes, and lovely contrasting textures. Very easy to put together, a few touches of color make for a very visually appealing plate. The pomegranate and almonds bring crunch. The Gorgonzola brings salt, character and umami. The yoghurt is refreshing and earthy. The zucchini really acts as a canvas for all the other flavors, while still retaining its signature spongy bite when served immediately.
ZUCCHINI & POMEGRANATE SALAD
4 servings
2 medium zucchinis, julienned
½ cup Greek yogurt
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
sumac (for garnish)
2 tbsp sliced almonds
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
50 g Gorgonzola Piccante, crumbled (about ⅓ cup)
salt to taste
In a small bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, garlic powder, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped coriander, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Let stand for 15 minutes so flavors meld.
With the help of a mandolin or a very sharp knife, julienne the zucchini into 2” matchsticks.
Spread the yogurt dressing in a circle in the middle of shallow individual serving dishes.
Toss the julienned zucchini in a bowl with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a few drops of lemon juice. You want to do this at the very last minute to avoid “cooking” the zucchini. The idea is just to make the matchsticks glossy and season them right before serving.
Arrange the matchsticks around the yoghurt dressing, and garnish with sliced almonds, pomegranate seeds, gorgonzola, and a sprinkle of sumac. Serve immediately.
📌 Tips & Variations
The salt and lemon juice will “cook” the zucchini quite rapidly, so it’s important to mix and serve immediately it will loose its texture.
Add edible flowers for extra color.
ZUCCHINI QUICHE
I had to tweak this recipe a bit to get it right. Blind-baking the crust and pre-grilling the zucchini are key to getting the best texture and flavor. Zucchini being a bit bland, the grilling helps draw out flavor, but also reduces the water content, which in turn helps prevent the pie crust from becoming soggy. If you follow these two principles, you can use whatever cheese, fresh herb, and custard combo you like. The first version of this was made with Comté cheese, and scallions (pictured).
If you want something more rich, use full fat cream. If you want something lighter, use whole milk. Ultimately I settled on a version with feta because I like the acidity it brings to cut the richness of the custard.
ZUCCHINI & FETA QUICHE
6 servings
pâte brisée (←click link for recipe & 🎬 video tutorial)
or 1 package pie crust dough
1 large zucchini, cut into ¼-inch rounds
1 handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 handful fresh mint, roughly chopped
115 g (½ cup) half & half
1 large egg
½ cup crumbled feta
3 zucchini flowers (optional, for garnish)
olive oil
salt & black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Either make your pâte brisée or lay the store-bought pie crust dough over a buttered and lightly floured 10“ tart pan, taking care not to stretch the dough up the sides too tightly. Trim the edges.
Prick the base with a fork several times, line with parchment, and add baking weights.
Blind-bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights, and bake another 5 minutes until lightly golden. Cool slightly.
Brush zucchini slices with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Heat a grill pan (or outdoor grill) over medium-high heat.
Grill zucchini slices 2–3 minutes per side until tender with light char marks.
Set aside on absorbent paper to cool slightly.
In a bowl, whisk together half & half and egg. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
Arrange grilled zucchini slices evenly on the base of the pie crust in concentric circles, overlapping each slice slightly.
Pour the custard mixture evenly over the filling.
Scatter chopped coriander, mint, and crumbled feta on top.
If using zucchini flowers, cut them open lengthwise, remove the stamens and stems, and spread them out gently on top for decoration. Dip a brush in the egg mixture and drag it over the flowers so they will brown nicely.
Lower oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the custard is set in the center with a slight wobble, and the top is lightly golden. Start checking if it’s done at 20 minutes by sliding a sharp knife or toothpick in the center, and if it comes out clean, the custard has set. Do not overcook or you’ll have dry, scrambled eggs.
Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
📌 Tips & Variations
Add bacon bits for a cheat sheet flavor bomb.
ZUCCHINI RISOTTO
You can’t go wrong with risotto in general. At first glance it masquerades as a humble plate of comfort food, but is utterly decadent, rich and silky when done right. It’s also hard to fail at risotto once you know the basic technique, and yet guests will always be impressed somehow. There’s a strange kind of mystique around risotto that I fail to understand because it’s one of the most approachable dishes for beginners.
A few basic pointers….
Don’t stir constantly. The liquid will evaporate, but the rice won’t absorb it. Let it sit for a minute or so before stirring.
Keep the heat on a steady medium, and don’t let it boil. You want a very gentle simmer all the way through to the end.
Divide your liquid into 4 parts, and let the rice absorb each portion until the mixture is creamy before adding more. Try not to do this more than 4 times. It’s easier to obtain a perfect al dente this way.
Use warm stock. This will help the rice cook evenly.
Stir in cold butter and cheese off the heat so as to avoid them breaking. Cold butter helps achieve a glossy finish.
Your risotto should be the consistency of porridge when you serve it super hot in the plates. As it cools it will thicken rapidly, so make sure your guests are already seated at the table when it’s ready to serve.
ZUCCHINI & BASIL RISOTTO
4 servings
1 ½ cups (300 g) Arborio or Carnaroli rice
2 medium zucchini, grated
1 small onion or 2 shallots, finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter (plus more for finishing)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine
4–5 cups (1–1.2 L) vegetable or chicken stock
¼ cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup (50 g) freshly grated Pecorino
1 small handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
zest of ½ lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
julienned zucchini flowers for decoration
Bring your stock to a gentle simmer in a saucepan, and reduce to low and keep warm.
In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium heat.
Add the onion (or shallots) and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to burn it.
Stir in the rice and toast it 1–2 minutes until it becomes slightly translucent.
Pour in the white wine and stir until it’s almost completely absorbed.
Add ¼ of the warm stock, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, and ensure even absorption. Once most of the liquid has been absorbed, add the next ¼ portion of stock.
After about 10 minutes of cooking, add the grated zucchini, a generous pinch of salt (not too much because the Parmesan is also salty), and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.
Continue cooking, adding the rest of the stock ¼ portion at a time, until the rice is al dente and creamy, (about 20 minutes total).
Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining butter, Parmesan, and lemon zest. Mix until the risotto is glossy and creamy.
Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Spoon into warmed bowls, sprinkle with fresh basil, chopped zucchini flowers, and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately.
📌 Tips & Variations
Garnish with crunchy fried zucchini latkes (pictured below), for extra zucchini flavor
Grated zucchini will “melt” into the risotto, making it extra creamy. Diced zucchini gives a little more bite, texture. You can do a bit of both.
For an over-the-top twist, add a spoonful of mascarpone at the end.
That’s it for this week. Follow me on Instagram where I post daily food content in my stories.
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Thanks for the good recipes that give me ideas for the weekly menus ❤️ and also for your very interesting narrative from US insider. Greetings from 🇨🇭