The Evolution of Zucchini

For the two years that Tom and I lived in Manhattan, we were within a long walk or a quick bus ride of Angelo and Maxie's.  It was one of my favorite steakhouses because of the fabulous zucchini sticks, rolled before frying in some heavenly combination of herbs and spices.  I usually ate so many that most of my steak had to be carried home in a doggie bag.  After we moved here I looked for a replacement and found it in a zucchini fritter recipe that involved beer batter and deep-frying.  (Really, is it any wonder my doctor wanted to put me on Lipitor?)  When I retired my deep-fryer last year, I also filed the fritter recipe away and started preparing zucchini like this:


Sauteed Summer Squash

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, cut in 1" squares
1/2 green bell pepper, cut in 1" squares
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 medium-sized zucchini or yellow crookneck squash, sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
Pepper and salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large frying pan.  Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Remove the vegetables from the pan and add the zucchini and mushrooms.  Saute until almost completely cooked.  Put the onions and peppers back into the pan and add the remaining ingredients.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato is heated through.  Serve at once.

"Tomatoes and squash never fail to reach maturity.  You can spray them with acid, beat them with sticks and burn them; they love it." ~S. J. Perelman