Round Zucchini?!

Jay doesn't like to get bored. So, instead of just planting "normal" vegetables, he seeks out strange shapes and colors of typical vegetables. That's how we end up with purple and pink potatoes; purple, orange and yellow tomatoes; and zucchini of every shape and size.

One zucchini that many customers have asked about this year is the round ones. Eight ball, cue ball, and one ball zucchini are all round zucchini, with the same great zucchini taste but with a fun round shape. I usually have multiple customers asking, "What do you do with those?!"

You can prepare the round zucchini in the same manner that you would prepare the long, cylinder zucchini. One of our favorites is grilling them, but saute is also tasty.

For the Fourth of July, we decided to get creative and make a new recipe to share with you all:

Zucchini-Tomato Napoleon

3 one-ball, cue-ball, or eight-ball zucchini
3 large tomatoes
1 package of fresh mozzarella cheese
3-4 leaves of fresh basil
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
 

Slice the zucchini into 1/4" to 1/3" slices.  Brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill on a preheated grill at medium heat for 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes and slice into 1/4" to 1/3" slices. Also slice the mozzarella into 1/4" slices. Dice the basil. (If using dried basil, mix 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil with 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil.)

Now it's time to assemble. On each plate, put down one slice of zucchini, then one slice of mozzarella, next one slice of tomato, and finally another slice of zucchini. 

Sprinkle with basil and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Enjoy!

And, like most meals in my house, I like to re-purpose the leftovers. As an encore, I diced the leftover stacks and sauted them for a few minutes, until the cheese was melted. Then I stirred in some cooked angel hair pasta. Voila! Second meal with hardly any effort.

Round Zucchini?!