About this time of year we start to get overwhelmed by all the squash and zucchini that keeps appearing on the vine. At first, all the baked goods are affected, then suddenly squash and zucchini start appearing in every soup and stir-fry, and then we cann or freeze chunks of the stuff so it can haunt us in future stir-fries and soups come winter, and then Mom starts baking UFOs (unidentified food objects) like zucchini casserole and zucchini slippers.
The worst part is that everyone else has the same problem. In fact, the community joke is that one should never leave their car door unlocked in late July or August or they might come back to find the back seat filled with zucchini.
Zuketti is a fun yummy remedy for the problem.
Mom got the recipe from a woman while we were in the Nauvoo Pageant this last year. She wrote it on a small notebook page which is easily lost on the recipe book shelf. But I found it today and made it for lunch. I took lots of pictures along the way so I could share it with you.
First you cut the zucchini into wedges. The smallest ones are the best to use because they're tender. We haven't discovered a use for the colossal zucchini and squash that we sometimes find hiding under the plants. Those ones get so tough and full of seeds that they make the short trip straight from garden to compost pile.
When we got this recipe in Nauvoo, it just said seasoned flour so we had to decide what that meant. We decided that we wanted a mixture of garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, parsley, and flour. The mixture is never the same because we don't measure the seasonings.
Dip the zucchini sticks into beaten egg ...
... and then roll it in the seasoned flour
We use coconut oil to grease the pan, but we used to use Crisco or Pam. We're always trying to live a healthier lifestyle so if there's a healthier alternative we're game.
Lay out the wedges on the greased pans, drizzle with oil ...
... and bake until they are as crispy as you like.
This is spaghetti sauce that we canned last year from our own tomatoes and peppers. I think canning tomato sauce is my least favorite thing to can because it yields more dirty dishes than sauce. It does give us a lot of veggie juice, but we just cann the juice for our neighbor across the way who loves it more than we do.
Serve it with a little sauce and Parmesan cheese and Mm-mm! When Mom first made Zuketti I was sure it was just another one of her UFOs and that I wouldn't like it, but this recipe soon found its way to my heart :) Besides, it beats zucchini slippers any day of the week, hands down!
Ingredients:
Zucchini
2+ eggs
Flour
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Oil (for drizzling)
Spaghetti Sauce
Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
Cut zucchini into wedges. Season your flour with the above spices (or your own) until it tastes the way you like it. Coat zucchini wedges in beaten egg and seasoned flour before placing in rows on a greased cookie sheet or pan and drizzling with a bit of oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the wedges becomes as toasted and crispy as you like them.
Serve warm covered in spaghetti sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
