Zucchini Ribbons (and more ideas to keep up with this productive garden plant)

Welcome to Frugal Homemade! This week, I am addressing zucchini because I suddenly have more than I need, so I imagine I am not the only one.

While I am happy to see them grow and proud when I can pick a good-looking one, it can sometimes be stressful to make sure they all get put to good use. I’ll start with a go-to recipe from my house, then talk about a few other things I like to do with this lovely summer squash. I also would love for you to comment with your favorite zucchini uses!

This is super basic “recipe,” but many people don’t like the texture of summer squash cooked in the usual slices or half moon shapes and therefore avoid the vegetable entirely. One of these people was my husband. I really like summer squash so I had to find a way to make him happy to eat it. This works because the thin slices don’t need to be cooked very long and therefore don’t get as limp as the poor insides of those half moons.

If zucchini is in your garden, this is about as frugal as it gets. If it isn’t, it is still pretty cheap, especially in the summer. It is $.49/lb this week at Caputo’s and a 1 lb package is $.99 at Aldi.

Zucchini Ribbons

Cut the ends off your medium to large zucchini and cut it in half if it is on the longer side.

Slice them 1/8″. I am using a basic mandoline slicer. Do this at your own risk as there is a holder thingy that you are supposed to use so as not to cut yourself, but it mangles the vegetables. So I live on the edge and do not use it. Go slowly and be careful! That approach also helps you keep your slices even. I wouldn’t try to do this by hand, but there is probably a way to do this in a food processor if you want to go that route. My slicer is actually this one, which works fine, but is overpriced. If I were shopping for a new one now, I’d probably go for a v-blade one like this Swissmar model with great reviews.

Now stack the slices back up and push them over to one side so it is perpendicular to the board on one side and looks like stairs on the other. The point here is to minimize the number of odd little pieces while still keeping this very quick. Cut the stack in to half inch wide ribbons, which required two cuts for this particular vegetable, but you may need three. Heat a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

When the butter stops foaming, add the ribbons and stir to distribute the fat. Season with about a half teaspoon of kosher salt and a bit of pepper. Saute about four minutes or until they soften to your liking.

What else is zucchini good for?

• Zucchini bread, of course! I love this use because it can be snack, breakfast, dessert, or even a gift. Plus, I have my kid convinced that it’s cake (shhhh). I don’t have an original recipe to share with you, but I will say that the America’s Test Kitchen recipe in their New Best Recipe book is absolutely perfect (as are many of the other recipes contained).
• Casseroles. I am not ashamed to admit that I love a good casserole. They are epitome of comfort food. And, as someone who often cooks for others, I appreciate the ability to all but cook something in advance. I love this yellow squash casserole, which can be adjusted to have a greater zucchini to yellow squash ratio.
• Side dishes. There are countless options, but I will leave you with my favorite, which will also help you use an abundance of garden herbs. I am making this zucchini herb couscous tonight!

Now, what are YOUR favorite things to do with zucchini?

Be sure to check back each week for something new! I will be bringing you how-tos, advice, and articles on everything pertaining to easy frugal living: From DIY, to recipes, to practical tips and tricks. To help balance out the couponing and deal chasing we do a lot of here, I’ll talk about easy ways to incorporate frugality into everyday life and to do more from scratch.

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Zucchini Ribbons

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Here's how to make Zucchini Ribbons from this productive garden plant!

Course side

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cut the ends off zucchini and cut in half.
• Slice lengthwise into 1/8" slices.
• Stack the slices so that they are even on one side and cut the stack into ½" inch wide ribbons.
• Heat butter and olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
• When the butter stops foaming, add zucchini and season with salt and pepper.
• Saute for about 4 minutes.