In Season: Zucchini

Whether or not you call it a courgette, the zucchini is so versatile it can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.

In our online feature, In Season, we highlight seasonal fruits and vegetables throughout the year. What they are, the different varieties, their health properties, and how to incorporate them into your cooking.

ZUCCHINI

What: Whether or not you call it a courgette, the zucchini is so versatile it can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. Though we think of it as a vegetable, it’s botanically considered a fruit, and can grow to nearly a metre in length.

Varieties: In North America, we’re most familiar with green zucchini and yellow zucchini, also known as summer squash. Both are mild in flavour, and generally available starting in July. Delicate zucchini blossoms have also become increasingly popular in recent years – with many chefs stuffing them with cheese or another filling and deep frying them.

Health properties: Zucchini is low in calories, and contains folate, potassium and vitamin A.

Plays well with: Bacon, almonds, tomato, pasta, egg, lemon, olive oil.

Simple ways to use:

Sauteed with a bit of butter and olive oil, for an easy side dish.

Seeded, chopped and added to a veggie frittata.

Breaded and pan-fried, for crispy zucchini coins.

Storage: Store in your vegetable crisper, unwashed, until ready to use.

Get cooking with zucchini!

Black cod ratatouille with herb salad

Crostini with zucchini and formaggio

Harvest vegetable frittata

Risotto with zucchini, mint and hazelnuts

Sauteed zucchini with tomatoes, garlic and hot chili with pasta

Zucchini with plums, pecorino and herb vinaigrette

Shrimp and white wine sauce with zucchini pasta

Lemon thyme, zucchini and parmesan casserole

Zucchini flower fritters with arugula

Basil and zucchini angel hair pasta

What’s your favourite recipe using zucchini? Comment below!

Crème Brulee

Satisfy your sweet tooth with crème brulée!

Indulge yourself with this fruit topped creamy and caramelized dessert.

METHOD

  1. Combine heavy cream and coffee beans. Seal and infuse together in the fridge overnight.
  2. The next day – Preheat oven to 300 F and heat some water in a kettle.
  3. In a saucepan, strain heavy cream, reweigh and top back up to 400 g. Combine innards of vanilla bean, and the pod.
  4. While this comes to a simmer, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and sea salt.
  5. When the cream comes to a gentle simmer, remove the vanilla pod and slowly start to pour it into the yolk mixture while constantly whisking. Please do this slowly so not to cook the egg yolks.
  6. Pass mixture through a mesh sieve into a large pouring vessel. You may use a large glass measuring cup.
  7. Place ramekins into a larger, rimmed baking pan.
  8. Fill the pan with hot water so it reaches about ¾ – 1” up the ramekins. Fill ramekins with cream mix.
  9. To eliminate any bubbles, use blow torch very lightly over the cream mix. It will pop all the surface bubbles.
  10. Bake for 45-50 mins. Custard will be set but they will jiggle in the middle. Do not over bake as the custard will lose the creaminess we want. If the whole ramekin jiggles, leave in the oven a while longer.
  11. Remove tray from oven, and then carefully remove the ramekins. Let them cool to room temp, and then place them in the fridge overnight. You can do this process 3-4 days ahead of time.
  12. When you’re ready to serve, coat with a thick layer of icing sugar and toast with a blow torch.
  13. Top with berries and serve.