Cream of Zucchini Soup

If it's summertime, it's time for my fabulous cream of zucchini soup!  Sure, you can make this soup anytime of the year but the availability of fresh zucchini and dill in the summertime make this a Must Do for summer recipes.

I prepared another batch this afternoon and I am going to share this summer fresh veggie recipe with you all now!

CREAM OF ZUCCHINI SOUP

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 medium chopped onion
2 small cut unpeeled zucchini 
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 cup milk

• In saucepan combine chicken broth, chopped onion, and zucchini.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes until zucchini and onions are tender
• Put half the mixture in a blender; puree.  Put the remaining half in blender and puree all until smooth.
• In saucepan melt the butter.  Stire in flour, salt and pepper.
• Blend in half a cup pureed mixture until smooth and no lumps.
• Blend in flour into flour and pureed mixture until smooth and no lumps.
• Blend in milk slowly until all is blended.
• Blend in remaining pureed vegetable mixture until all is smooth.
• Sprinkle top of soup with minced dill.
• Cook over low heat about five minutes.
• Season to taste.
• Enjoy!

Mom's Zucchini Bread Recipe

My Mom in her kitchen, Christmas 1975 (this after a hard day's work at Pepperridge Farm where she worked in the frozen layer cake line).

It's been a while since I've posted one of my favorite family recipes.  Today I'm posting my Mom's favorite zucchini recipe.  

My Mom had tried many zucchini recipes in her lifetime, but this was her all-time favorite.  I remember when she wrote the recipe on a card and gave it too me.  


The other day I had some zucchini that was getting old so I thought it was time for some zucchini bread in my life.  It's been years since I made this recipe.  It's been too long.  It is as good as ever and even better, it brings back fond memories of my Mom.  She wasn't the greatest cook in the world but some recipes she had down pat.  I could never match her recipe for homemade southern biscuits but I come pretty close matching her on this recipe. 


Enjoy!

Zucchini Boats

I have had a couple requests for my Zucchini Boats recipe. Here is it below. I got the recipe from Taste of Home. Please fell free to add or subtract any ingredients that you feel will enhance the recipe to your individual taste. I find this recipe a good way to use those large zucchini that are so abundant in backyard gardens this time of year:

SERVINGS: 4
CATEGORY: Main Dish
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 35 min. Bake: 25 min.
Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini (about 8 inches)
3/4 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup large fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoons ketchup
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Trim the ends of zucchini. Cut in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Finely chop pulp. In a skillet, cook beef, zucchini pulp, onion, mushrooms and peppers over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat. add 1/2 cup cheese, ketchup, salt and pepper; mix well. Spoon into the zucchini shells. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Yield: 4 servings. When scooping out the pulp for Zucchini Boats, a teaspoon is just the right size. Use your food processor or blender to finely chop the pulp quickly.