The Round Zuchini Challenge Becomes A Vegetarian Feast

Challenge:  To find use of a grapefruit shaped zuchini from my friend's CSA

Result:  A Vegetarian Feast

My friend and fellow yogi, Casey, gave me a huge round zucchini yesterday from her CSA.  She mentioned that not only did she get more food than she can eat this week, but that she was challenged to use some of the produce.  I hear this often from folks that go with CSA.  I too can sometimes stare in marvel at a crazy piece of produce that i can't identify, but that's part of the fun:  figuring out what it is and how to make it something spectacular.

HUGE!

The round zuchini proved hardly a challenge for me since i eat a lot of zuch's and have many recipe ideas for them, however this was the largest and roundest zuchini i ever worked with (about the size of a grapefruit), which actually made it PERFECT for mandoline slices to be used as chips, shells, raw-violis, or wraps.

sliced finer than 1/8 inch

I had picked up some organic corn the day prior at the co-op down the road.  Cut from the cob and mixed with chopped tomato, red onion, cilantro, black beans, cumin, EVOO, and sea salt, it made a great stuffing for my now 'zuchini taco shells'.

i used a spring-form pan to form the corn salad stack

tapatio was great on this

Andy was making his specialty - Guacamole.  He used a trader joes kit and added some cilantro from our garden.

The zuch slices also made great chips for scooping up some guac.

There were still more slices left after all was said and done.  These became the easiest dish ever,  zuchini carpaccio.  Lay out the slices, drizzle with EVOO, some coarse sea salt, and fresh sliced basil from the garden.

so simple - so good.

Andy also grilled some portobella mushrooms and the extra ear of corn i purchased, but by the time we sat to eat neither of us was too hungry from nibbling on the guac.  We managed to make our way through the zuch and the corn salad.  The mushrooms are going to have to be used in a salad tomorrow. 

incredibly fresh and delicous veggie feast!!!