Spin Zone

Farm-fresh zucchini spun into long strands on a spiralizer and sautéed quickly are a crisp, healthy pasta replacement. We stirred a bit of Girasole’s Zucchini Pesto into ours for a pleasureful “zucchini on zucchini” scenario. If these noodles lose their crunch, they make a tender side dish all the same. Just add a little extra cheese. 

Zucchini Butter

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. salted butter

1 1/2 lb. onions

Ten cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2 1/2 lb. grated zucchini

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 tbsp. fresh thyme

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

In a large skillet, sauté oil, butter, onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Add zucchini and cook until tender, stirring regularly. Add wine and continue to cook at low heat until liquid is reduced. Let cool for safe handling and decant into freezer-safe jars. Mixture will keep for a year if frozen.

Whiskey and Butter Roasted Apple Butter

Nemacolin’s Lautrec Restaurant

1/2 lb. butter

4 lb. apples: cored, skin-on (Granny Smith for more tartness, but any medium-size apple will do)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

2 cups Wigle Walkabout Apple 

Whiskey

3 cups water

Two vanilla beans, split

Place butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Allow it to brown before adding apples. Coat the apples with the butter by stirring them gently. Add sugars and salt and stir apples to coat. Allow them to cook until there is slight caramelization. 

Once the apples are caramelized, deglaze the pan with the Wigle Apple Whiskey. Lower the heat and allow the alcohol to cook out and reduce in the pan. Once the whiskey is reduced, add the water and split vanilla beans.

Allow the apples to continue to cook over low heat until nearly all the liquid is cooked down. Once this has happened, remove the pan from the heat and while the apples are still warm, remove vanilla pods, and spoon apples into a blender. Puree until thick and smooth, scraping the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula to keep the mixture moving. 

Let the mixture fully cool. Use it right away or store it up to 2 weeks in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze in a container or freezer bag.  

Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

Recipe by Scratch 

12 ripe tomatoes

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Grill tomatoes until skins are heavily charred. Cool slightly and puree until smooth with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. 

Zucchini Pesto

Jennifer Gerasole at Girasole

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Two garlic cloves

Two zucchini: small, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated

1/2 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. Gradually add oil as mixture blends.

Zucchini Soup with Basil

Jennifer Gerasole of Girasole

3/4 cup onion, chopped 

Two garlic cloves, chopped

1 lb. zucchini, trimmed and cut cross-wise into thirds

Salt and pepper

Chili flakes

4 cups vegetable stock

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, packed

One tub of Mascarpone

In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, cook onion and garlic over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add chopped zucchini, salt and pepper, chili flakes. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Add stock and simmer partially covered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a bit before pureeing in a blender with the fresh basil. Warm gently before serving in shallow bowls with salt and pepper to taste, and a dollop of Mascarpone.

Green Gazpacho

Recipe by Scratch

Ten green tomatoes, char half on the grill

Two serrano peppers, lightly charred 

on grill

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

One English cucumber

2 tbsp. salt

2 1/2 tbsp. ground coriander

2 1/2 tbsp. ground cumin

Salt and pepper, to taste

Puree all ingredients in a blender. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill and serve.

Zucchini Noodles

Four garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried peperoncino

4 tbsp. olive oil

Four large zucchini, spiralized 

into noodles

2 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped

Grated Parmigiano cheese

1 tbsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

In a skillet, briefly sauté garlic and pepperoncino flakes in olive oil. Do not let the garlic brown. (If you like anchovies, add rinsed fillets with the garlic.) Add zucchini noodles and toss them until coated. Stir gently until warm but still firm. Add parsley and stir at the last second. Transfer contents into a large warm bowl and toss with grated cheese. Adjust seasoning to taste.  

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