I absolutely love zucchini but sadly I am the only one in my family who does. My children try to avoid it at all possible costs and my husband only will eat it in select recipes. But it's so easy to grow! And prolific too! So I am determined to convert my family to be zucchini lovers.
The first recipe, a salad, tastes just like summer. It's refreshingly crunchy and the bright lemon flavor balances the plain zucchini and the rich hazelnuts. You could use another type of nut but hazelnuts grow locally here and they are soooo yummy.
Hazelnuts are a great energy source high in fiber, protein, folate, calcium, manganese, B vitamins and many more so they really up the nutrient count in this salad. They are also known as Filberts. Zucchini is super low calorie (21 calories per cup!) but full of water and fiber to make you feel full and is also full of vitamins like C, B6, Manganese and K, just make sure you leave the skin on because that's where most of the vitamins are. Like the hazelnuts, zucchini also have an alias or two-courgette and summer squash. So in addition to being just plain delicious, this salad is really good for you!
Zucchini Salad With Lemon Dressing, Hazelnuts and Feta
The second recipe is a quick pizza topped with fresh shaved zucchini. I was craving a barely cooked texture and decided on a simple pizza which cooked the zucchini a little but didn't turn it to mush. I also love zucchini blossoms so I picked a few, gently tore them into 5 or 6 pieces each and topped my just cooked pizza with them. They add a light fresh flavor and texture and don't you think they are just gorgeous?!
Fast and Easy Zucchini Pizza
The pizza dough is a fast recipe for when you haven't thought ahead and made your dough in the morning or even the day before (longer fermented dough has the best flavor) but it's still a yeast risen dough and a great basic to have in the toolbox for weeknights.
For another great way to cook with zucchini, try this kid-friendly recipe I made recently, Cheddar Zucchini Fritters . These are easy, fast and perfect to dip into a healthy yogurt dip or marinara sauce.
Herb Yogurt Dip with Zucchini Fritters
Enjoy the rest of zucchini season and let me know if you try any of these recipes or if you have a recipes that will convert my non-zucchini loving family!
Amazon has a selection of veggie spiralizers but I like this one by OXO because it is sturdy and has a suction cup base to hold it steady.
If you need a new pizza pan, this one from Amazon Basics is non-stick and perforated to help cook the crust right through without burning the top. I use a perforated pan and put it right on top of my preheated pizza stone so it's easy to get in and out of the oven.
Courgette Feta Salad With Hazelnuts
Ingredients
- 1 Large Courgette, cut into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler or mandoline or 2 small courgette (zucchini)
- ½ c Hazelnuts
- ½ c Feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Fresh Pepper
- Optional: Basil, Mint or Parsley For Garnish
Instructions
Make The Dressing
- Mix together lemon juice, zest, oil, S+P and sugar and set aside.
- In a wide bowl add courgette, nuts and feta.
- When ready to serve, gently toss the dressing with the courgette, feta cheese and nuts in a large bowl.
- Garnish with basil, mint or parsley if using.
- Serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
Top this pizza dough recipe with shaved zucchini, zucchini blossoms, shredded cheddar and fresh basil.
Zucchini Flower Pizza
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 teaspoon Traditional Yeast
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- 1 ½ c Warm Water
- 3 c Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil To coat bowl and drizzle over
Pizza Toppings
- 1 c Zucchini, sliced in thin rounds one small or medium zucchini
- ¼ c Tomato Sauce, seasoned with salt if needed or pizza sauce
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- Salt, dried basil or oregano to taste optional
- 2 c Shredded cheddar cheese or mozzarella
- 6 Zucchini Blossoms, torn into large pieces
- Fresh basil leaves optional
Instructions
Pizza Dough
- Turn your oven on the warm setting and let preheat. Into a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, add yeast and sugar. Then add warm water. (This should be quite warm but not hot so you don't kill the yeast) Stir and let sit for 10 minutes to get foamy (activate) while you assemble other ingredients.
- In large measuring cup add flour and salt and stir to combine well and then pour into wet ingredients.
- Stir together or turn mixer with paddle attachment on low until it comes into a ball. Continue to knead in mixer or by hand for about 5 minutes. Lightly oil bowl with the olive oil and drizzle remaining oil on top. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap (leave air escape hole) or a clean tea towel. Turn off your oven and pop the dough inside to rise. Once it's doubled in size (approx 1 hour) take it out, preheat oven to 500' F and form it into 1 large or 2 small pizzas on a cookie sheet or pizza pan lined with parchement or dusted with flour or cornmeal.
Topping and Baking
- Once your pizza dough is pressed out into the size you like, stir minced garlic into tomato sauce and season to taste with salt, pepper or other dried herbs like oregano or basil.Spread sauce evenly over pizza, leaving ½" around the edges bare. Next evenly place slices of zucchini and half the torn flowers, then top evenly with cheese.Put your pizza in the oven and bake 12-15 min. Once it's bubbly and lightly browned, it's done. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with remaining zucchini flowers letting them cook slighty in the residual heat. Then sprinkle basil leaves over if using.Take it out and slide it onto cooling racks for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Denise from Urb'n'Spice
All of your zucchini recipes are wonderful and look so delicious, Sabrina. I am pinning to try them all. Thanks so much for sharing.
SabCurrie
Thank you so much Denise! I hope you like them! 🙂
Terri
First of all - you are soooo lucky that you still have stuff growing! We've had insane amounts of SNOW this Sept 🙁 I want to try both of these zucchini recipes- I just love the stuff - it's so versatile! I just don't understand how someone can't love it, as it adopts the flavour of whatever it's cooked in. Anyway, on the bright side, you get it all to yourself 🙂
SabCurrie
Thanks Terri! So sorry about all that early snow 😬
I did end up having some luck getting the kids to eat the zucchini fritters. They picked them up with their hands and dipped them lots.
Julia
My teenagers won't eat zucchini either. My husband only eats it because I'm the one that cooks...lol! This salad looks delicious and perfect for summer!
SabCurrie
Thanks Julia, I definitely feel your pain lol. The best luck I’ve had getting kids to eat it is my crispy cheddar zucchini Fritters but I really love the light and cool freshness of this salad on a hot day. Enjoy!
Elaine
This is a great way to enjoy zucchini! Raw zucchini has a milder flavour than cooked, so I've found more people will eat it this way. Love your feta-hazelnut combination. Just beautiful!
SabCurrie
Thank you Elaine 🙂 Good point, because I love zucchini I didn’t think of it being stronger once cooked but I think you’re right. Cheers to a veggie-rich summer 💚
Isabelle @ Crumb
I can totally relate to being the only zucchini lover in the house... though I have to say that your salad looks so delicious that it might just convince my zucchini-doubting husband to change his tune. That combo of fresh zucchini and creamy feta and crunchy hazelnuts sounds so perfectly fresh and flavourful. Yum!
SabCurrie
Thanks Isabelle! This salad has converted my husband so I hope you have good luck with yours. So fresh and healthy 💚
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli
We love zucchini so much! Last year our garden produced so many and we used them in savory and sweet dishes. All your recipes are great! We particularly love the zucchini and zucchini blossom pizza, we make it too and it's incredible!
SabCurrie
Thanks! Aren’t zucchini blossoms the best?! We’ve just started enjoying zucchini from our garden in the last week or so and it’s looking like there will be plenty 🙂 Happy summer to you guys!
Colleen
I always grow too much zucchini, so this year I have only one plant. I can't wait for it to produce so I can try out these recipes. They look delicious. Thanks for sharing.
SabCurrie
Thanks Colleen, and yes, once zucchini starts it doesn’t quit! Guess that’s why there’s so many zucchini jokes lol! Good luck in your garden this summer!
Kristen
I am loving all these zucchini recipes. It's such a versatile veggie and there's not much better than fresh out of the garden.
I'll be lining these up on repeat this summer.
SabCurrie
Thank you so much Kristen! I agree, it is so versatile. I made the zucchini cheddar Fritters again last night but added in corn cut off a cob I had to use up and it worked great. Veggie dense yumminess 🙂