Zucchini is to the vegetables what fruit cake is to baking. There's only so much zucchini bread you can give away, and much of it has the same fate as fruit cake.Need I say more?
I had never been much of a zucchini fan. To me it's bland and uninteresting compared to so many of summer's vegetables that pack a punch of real taste: eggplant, corn, green beans and various chards, for example.
I got to know Beach by e-mail a few years ago when I had heard rumors of this great soup maker at Stanford University. I learned that she wanted to publish a book of her recipes, and I suggested several ways of going about it.
A few weeks ago, after not being in touch for almost 2 years, I received an e-mail from Beach announcing the publication of her “California Soups & Salads” calendar. I immediately bought one online.
The 15-month calendar, beautifully illustrated with color photographs of each recipe, is for the academic year, 2006-2007, and begins with September 2006. The recipe for that month is Curried Zucchini Soup.
The recipe is a revelation. The soup has an appealing spiciness and an incredible depth of flavor, a roasty richness that makes you keep wanting to eat more.
Beach's secret is the addition of a browned butter and flour mixture (a roux) after the vegetables have been completely cooked. Everything is pureed to a creamy smoothness with an immersion stick blender or standard blender, and the soup is completed by a final enrichment of whole milk or half and half.
I think almost any soup could be improved by the addition of a browned roux, and I recommend the technique as something to try with your own recipes. At last, a recipe for zucchini I can actually look forward to making.
To order one of Beach's calendars, visit her Web site, http://www.isimmer.com.
Curried Zucchini Soup
Use small to medium zucchini for this recipe because they have a compact, flavorful flesh. The secret to this soup's wonderfully rich taste is in the browned roux, blended into the soup at the end of cooking.
Roux:
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Soup:
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, washed and trimmed, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large yellow or white onion, peeled and coarsely cut
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, homemade or good-quality canned
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
1 cup half and half or whole milk
To make the roux, melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. When bubbly, add the flour and stir with a small whisk or wooden spoon almost constantly for about 5 minutes, until the roux turns a deep golden brown, the color of coffee with cream, and smells of roasted nuts.
Remove the pan from the heat.
For the soup, put the zucchini, onion, broth, garlic, curry powder, bay leaf, cayenne, white pepper and salt into a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and cook at the simmer until the vegetables are completely tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Take the pot off the heat and discard the bay leaf.
Add the cooled roux. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a standard blender. Stir in the half and half or whole milk.
To serve, reheat the soup over low heat, and drizzle each portion with a few drops of chili oil, if desired.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Zucchini Rice Casserole
This side dish of zucchini, rice and Parmesan cheese, is based on a Julia Child recipe from 1970. We began making it then and have been doing so every summer when zucchini inundates our farmers markets.
Zucchini, which is notoriously watery, must be shredded, salted and squeezed to rid it of excess liquid. My wife, Dorothy, carries the process one step further and freezes the prepared zucchini so that we can make this excellent dish deep into the winter. (see sidebar).
2 1/2 pounds zucchini
Salt
1/2 cup long-grain rice
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, very finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups very hot milk (have it in a pan ready to use)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Wash and dry the zucchini and trim off the ends. Shred the zucchini through the large holes of a box grater or use the medium shredding disk of a food processor.
Toss the zucchini with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large colander and let stand about 30 minutes. Put a plate onto the zucchini and set several cans of food onto the plate to weigh down the zucchini and press out the excess liquid.
Let stand another 15 minutes or so or until you're ready for it.
Meanwhile, drop the rice into a large pot of boiling salted water, bring rapidly back to the boil, and boil exactly 5 minutes. Drain the rice and set it aside.
Butter a 6- to 8-cup heatproof baking and serving dish about 1 1/2 inches deep. Adjust an oven rack to the upper third position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, translucent, and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
While the onion cooks, squeeze handfuls of the zucchini to remove excess moisture. Add the zucchini to the onion along with the garlic. Stir and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the zucchini is almost tender.
Add the flour and toss and stir another 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the hot milk. Return the skillet to medium high heat and bring to the simmer, stirring occasionally. The liquid should thicken slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the blanched rice and all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Turn unto the prepared baking dish, scatter the remaining cheese over the top, and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. (May be prepared several hours in advance to this point or even up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking.)
Bake until the casserole is bubbling hot and the top has browned nicely. Cool a few minutes, and serve with a spoon.
Greg Patent writes a monthly food column for the Missoulian. His cookbook, “Baking in America,” won the 2003 James Beard Award. He co-hosts a radio show about food with Jon Jackson, Sundays at noon on KUFM.
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