Zucchini

During the next couple of months, zucchini squash tastes at its best. Even better, it's often going for a ridiculously affordable price. Whether you'd prefer to enjoy the veg in a simple, clean dish like this zucchini carpaccio, or you'd rather dip these delicious looking, golden, baked zucchini fries into some creamy buttermilk ranch, be sure to take advantage of this time with these six zucchini recipes.

Zucchini Salad	Ratatouille Sandwich	Zucchini Carpaccio
Zucchini Pasta	Zucchini Fries	Zucchini Crostini

If you're in the mood for something hearty this weekend, try this gluten-free, vegan zucchini lasagna that FitSugar reader prepel posted in our Healthy Recipe group.

A healthy and easy dinner for people suffering from food intolerances.

Find the full recipe after the break.

I'm convinced that nature knows best, because just as I started brown-bagging my lunch again, my local supermarket was offering late Summer vegetables at rock-bottom prices. Zucchini at 59 cents a pound? I decided it was time to start hoarding.

Ideally, zucchini has a nice crunch and a subtle, botanical flavor that's best brought out with a minimalist dressing like this one — olive oil, lemon, dill, and a sprinkling of feta. Eat it right away, or better yet, bring it to work or school, and over the course of a few hours the flavors will meld together nicely. Read ahead for the recipe.

Many vegetables, like zucchini, cucumber, and eggplant, have a high water content, so to avoid my dishes turning into a diluted mess, I like to treat the vegetables by salting and draining them first.

The key is to sprinkle them with a liberal amount of kosher salt (but don't go overboard!), then wait patiently for 15 minutes for the salt to draw out the water by osmosis. Then, depending on the amount of water brought forth, either pat dry with a towel or drain using a colander.

This process, known as disgorging vegetables, works well for ratatouille crepes, zucchini-and-egg turnovers, quiche, or any other pastry dish that could turn soggy if vegetables are too moist after cooking. It also helps reduce bitterness and prevent cucumber salads from tasting overly watery. Have you ever tried disgorging vegetables?

We've been giving a lot of attention to berries, tomatoes, and corn this Summer, but that doesn't mean we've overlooked other vegetables at their peak. Case in point: zucchini, the slender Summer vegetable that's in abundance between May and August. Find out what we do with it when you read more.

The farmers market is bursting with fresh zucchini and I bet many home gardens are too, so turn this delicious Summer vegetable into an appetizer everyone will love: oven-baked zucchini fries with buttermilk ranch dipping sauce. For the fries, I dipped the zucchini strips in flour, lightly beaten egg, and panko bread crumbs for an extra crunchy coating. Of course, if you are short on time, serve them with store-bought ranch, but if you love this dressing as much as I do, you won't regret making this tangy and fresh buttermilk ranch. Not only are these fries great as an appetizer, but they would make a great side dish too. So celebrate the season with zucchini fries and buttermilk ranch by reading more for the recipe.

When Gwyneth Paltrow came out with her cookbook, My Father's Daughter, earlier this year, there was one recipe that was heavily promoted. It was a fried-zucchini pasta dish. While it sounded easy and delicious, I decided to wait until zucchini season (which is now!) to give it a try. With just the zucchini rounds, basil, and parmesan cheese, it's a simple spaghetti, but it's absolutely amazing. The cheese coats the pasta and the lightly fried zucchini is crisp on the outside yet soft on the inside. Don't skip the fresh-squeezed lemon garnish, it really adds a brightness to the pasta. Enjoy as a vegetarian meal or serve alongside grilled chicken or shrimp for a more substantial dinner. Here's the straightforward recipe.

When you eat based on the seasons, you can eat inexpensively — at least, that's what sustainable food experts always say. While I don't always find the best values at my farmers markets, I will agree that right now is the perfect time to take advantage of Summer produce that's so abundant that growers are practically giving it away. Case in point: everywhere I turn, I spot in-season zucchini, and they're going for a dollar a pound.

Zucchini's delicately sweet and vegetal nature plays out best in a simple, unadorned preparation like carpaccio. Slice it thinly on a mandoline (or not, if you have mad knife skills), then drizzle the plate with a light marinade of lemon juice, sea salt, and olive oil. Pine nuts add meatiness, and pecorino shavings add just a hint of bite. In mere minutes, you'll be facing a platter that encapsulates the taste of Summer. Keep reading for the carpaccio recipe.

All the blood, sweat, and tears you poured into your garden is beginning to pay off, as strawberries, sugar snap peas, and tomatoes become harvest ready. If you decided not to plant zucchini, because people are always trying to give them away, make sure you take your neighbor up on their offer if they try to give you some zukes. That firm and flavorful squash isn't just a delicious side dish to enjoy with your hamburger. This veggie is full of health benefits as well.

One small zucchini is only 19 calories, so it will fill you up without adding inches to your waist. This green veggie is a decent source of fiber and protein too, and also contains a fair amount of potassium, which is necessary for normal muscle growth and a healthy nervous system. I was surprised to hear the slender squash is also high in vitamin C — one cup provides 30 percent of your recommended daily intake. Zucchini offers your body even more since it's also a source of iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and zinc. The peel of the green squash contains most of the vitamins and nutrients, so leave the skin on when you prepare it.

I like to shred raw zucchini into my salad, but grilling zucchini is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this veggie in the Summer. If you're looking for more creative recipe ideas keep reading.