Zucchinirama!

I don't think I've ever been so excited about zucchini. But lo! My eyes are opened to the beauty of its subtle flavor and gentle freshness. Plus, there's something about grating fresh vegetables as opposed to chopping them that is so much fun. It could just be me.

The first zucchini recipe I tried from The Student's Vegetarian Cookbook was the Creamy Zucchini Somethingorother. I forget what it's called now. It calls simply to saute 1 grated zucchini with some basil (I used italian seasoning) in a little olive oil until warm and "green". Then mix with 1 T of yogurt (sour cream is particularly good), salt and pepper to taste, and shove in a pita pocket. It may not sound like a delicacy, but it really is filling and very comforting.

It even inspired me to grate up a little more zucchini and finally use the last of my radishes before they went bad in a new spin on the same recipe. The radishes added a little more zest with the same great results. Seriously, can we all just be totally proud of me for a second? ........ There.

The second recipe was Zucchini Pizza. Again, saute a grated zucchini, some basil, chopped onion (I used half a shallot), and one or two chopped tomatoes. After a pita pocket is split and baked at 450F for about 3 minutes, top it with the vegetables and some grated Monterey Jack, and bake until cheese is melted. That simple and so good. On a side note, I bought real Monterey Jack cheese a week ago. Before, I'd only had the Kraft version. If you've only had Kraft, you don't know jack about Jack. (Heh.) It's so much stronger and just perfect and tangy and so so so good melted.

And there you have it. What do you do with zucchini?