bajaruby - 8-4-2005 at 11:22 AM
Zucchini, or calabacita , shares the spotlight with corn and chiles
as a vegetable that has been cultivated for thousands of years in
Mexico. Long before the Aztecs and the Mayas, zucchini was a staple
crop.
It is not hard to see why this was so as it grows as rapidly and
easily as a weed. It is practically as simple as throwing some seeds
into a mound of dirt and soon you will see the results. It also likes
the climate of Mexico and needs almost no care. It is available
almost all year round here (and particularly good right now) and is a
definite delight to squash lovers. It is not quite the same as U.S.
zucchini as it is more compact, less watery, slightly sweeter and its
color is a lighter green.
Zucchini is a very versatile vegetable. When young and tender it is
delicious on its own with just a splash of either butter of olive
oil. When a little more mature, onions, garlic, tomatoes, chiles and
herbs are its natural mates. It can be steamed, boiled, baked or
roasted. It's good any way you prepare it as long it isn't
overcooked. It should remain crisp rather than being soggy.
I am in favor of buying all vegetables at either a public market or
at a weekly street market (tianguis ). The vegetables are generally
much fresher than what supermarkets offer. Old zucchini loses its
flavor, or worse, turns bitter. You can remove some of the bitterness
by salting the cut pieces and leaving them to drain for 20 minutes.
Don't buy zucchini when the skin is cut and bruised. Look instead for
the shiny light skinned small to medium size ones as they will
definitely have more taste. Only buy the bigger ones if you are going
to stuff them.
In addition to regular zucchini, you will also find little round ones
called calabacita criolla and a close relative to zucchini called
chilacoyote . These are both very attractive when stuffed and baked.
They can also be prepared steamed or boiled and are very tender and
flavorful. What you rarely find in Mexico are yellow squash (summer
squash) and any of the hard squashes except for pumpkins.
Zucchini is not as full of nutrients as many other vegetables,
although it is an excellent source of vitamin A and a fair source of
vitamin B1 and C and potassium. I normally don't peel zucchini as the
skins taste fine and there are vitamins in them. Zucchini has the
advantage of being a practically free food in the calorie department
as its water content is high.
SOPA DE CALABACITAS (ZUCCHINI SOUP)
- 2 ears fresh corn (there is good fresh corn now).
- 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- 4 small zucchini, diced.
- 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms.
- 1 tomato, peeled and quartered.
- 1 small white onion, quartered.
- 1 jalape?o chile, seeded and minced.
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced.
- 5 cups vegetable stock (see recipe below).
- Salt, to taste.
- Garnish: sour cream and finely chopped cilantro.
Scrape the corn kernels from the cobs. In a large saucepan, heat the
olive oil over medium heat and add the corn and zucchini. Cook for 5
minutes. stirring, Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 more minutes.
In a blender, pur?e the tomato, onion, chile, garlic and 1 cup of the
stock. Add to the corn mixture and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the rest
of the stock, season to taste and cook until the corn is tender,
about 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve garnished with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkling of
cilantro on top of each servings. Makes 6 servings.
VEGETABLE STOCK
- 2 large white onions, quartered.
- 4 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped.
- 8 stalks celery, cut into large pieces.
- 2 tomatoes, halved.
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled.
- 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped coarsely.
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme.
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns.
- 2 bay leaves.
- 1 teaspoon salt.
Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and cover with 6 quarts
of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
Strain. When cool, it can be frozen in small containers.
ZUCCHINI PUDDING
- 2 poblano chiles.
- 2 pounds zucchini.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
- 1 cup finely chopped scallions.
- 1 cup grated Manchego cheese.
- 2 eggs.
- 1 cup sour cream.
- Salt and pepper, to taste.
- 2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced.
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch baking
dish. Blister the chilies on all sides and place in a plastic bag to
sweat for 15 minutes. Peel under running water, seed and cut into
strips. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin strips.
Cook in lightly salted water until just tender.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and cook the
scallions until soft, about 6-7 minutes. Arrange the zucchini,
scallions, chiles and cheese in layers in the baking dish. Beat the
eggs with the cream and pour over the vegetables. Season with salt
and pepper and top with the tomato slices. Bake for 25-30 minutes,
until bubbling. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
VEGETABLE FRITTATA
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
- 1 small red onion, chopped fine.
- 1 medium-size potato, peeled and grated.
- 1 medium-size carrot, peeled and grated.
- 2 medium-size zucchini, grated.
- 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels.
- Salt and pepper, to taste.
- 4 eggs.
- 2 tablespoons grated panela cheese.
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.
Heat 1 tablespoons of the oil in a large flameproof nonstick skillet
over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the
rest of the vegetables, cover and cook, stirring a few times, until
they are just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and
season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Preheat the broiler.
Lightly beat the eggs with a little salt and pepper. Heat the
remaining oil in the same skillet. Pour in the eggs and cook over
medium heat, stirring lightly, until the bottom is set, about 5
minutes. The top will still be wet. Spoon the vegetables over the
eggs and sprinkle with the cheeses. Place the skillet under the
broiler and cook until the frittata is browned and bubbling, about 3
minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Makes 3 to 4 servings.
CALABACITAS A LA MEXICANA (Mexican-style zucchini)
You can skip the cream and cheese although they really taste good
with the vegetables. I have found that this way of preparing zucchini
even appeals, surprisingly, to young children.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
- 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced.
- 1 small white onion, chopped fine.
- 1 large ripe tomato, chopped fine.
- 6 medium-size zucchini, cut into small cubes.
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels.
- 1 large poblano chile, blistered, peeled, seeded and diced.
- 1/2 cup cream.
- 1 cup grated Manchego cheese.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and
onion and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato and
cook for about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and corn and cook until
they are tender, about 6 to7 minutes. Add the chile and cream and
bring to a boil. Lower the heat, stir in the cheese and cook just
until the cheese melts. Makes 6 servings.
bajajudy - 8-4-2005 at 11:35 AM
Ruby
Are you Vicki Cowal in disguise?
Sorry but I just saw this on El Universal...you should give credit to the author....or are you Vicki? What the heck do I know!
[Edited on 8-4-2005 by bajajudy]
bajaruby - 8-4-2005 at 11:52 AM
No sorry, I just deleted to much of the site I was reading. Will see if I can go back and give credit where it is due.
bajaruby - 8-4-2005 at 11:53 AM
New post was written by......
BY VICKY COWAL/The Herald Mexico
August 04, 2005
I was beginning to think that
jrbaja - 8-4-2005 at 12:13 PM
Baja Nomads was blessed with it's own version of Martha Stewart!
Mike Supino - 8-12-2005 at 04:33 PM
Wouldn't the recipe then be called "Jail House Zucchini"?