CHICOPEE, Mass. (Mass Appeal) – August 8, 2017 is National Zucchini Day! Tinky Weisblat and Michael Collins visited the show and made stuffed zucchini boats and zucchini chocolate cupcakes!Stuffed Zucchini Ingredients:
- 4 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons Asiago cheese
- 6 Kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
- the juice of 1 lemon
Cooking Directions:
- Scoop out the centers of the zucchini. Chop the zucchini “meat” finely.
- Blend it with the onion, the garlic, the olive oil, the bread crumbs, the tomato paste, and the salt and pepper to make a paste.
- Stuff the mixture into the zucchini shells.
- Cover with the cheese. Dot with the olives, and squeeze the lemon juice on top.
- Bake until the zucchini boats are bubbly and brown, about 20 minutes.
Courgette Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cups sifted flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 7/8 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup grated zucchini (stem but do not pare first)
Cooking Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Sift together the flour and the cocoa.
- Using an electric mixer at medium speed, cream together the butter, oil, and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg.
- Blend in the vanilla, followed by the baking soda and salt; then add the flour/cocoa mixture mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
- Stir in the zucchini.
- Pour the batter into lined muffin cups.
- Bake until the cakes test done, about 25 minutes. Ice with your favorite frosting.
