Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Italian Zucchini Pie

Believe it or not, my zucchini plants are still ridiculously productive. Most years, my squash plants die long before now. After carrying in four or five zucchinis a day, I've given up and started letting them grow to baseball bat size and feeding them to the chickens. I feel ungrateful to not be appreciating the abundance, but there comes a limit to how many zucchini a family can consume in one summer.

But I'm still finding new ways to make zucchini. This recipe is one I found in Simply In Season and my husband said it was well worth keeping. It takes a little time, but it makes two pies.


Italian Zucchini Pie
adapted from Simply in Season

Crust:
Make a batch of your favorite pizza crust or use this one.
3/4 cup warm water
1 T yeast
1 T oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp basil
2 cup flour  approx. (whole wheat or white)

Mix water and yeast together. Add other ingredients and knead well. The dough should be slightly sticky. You may not need all the flour. Or may need a bit more. Place in bowl to rise while preparing the filling.

Filling:
8 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T each fresh basil and oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
5 eggs, beaten
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Saute zucchini and onion in oil for about 10 minutes. Stir in all ingredients except half of the cheese.

Divide the dough in half and roll into circle. Place in greased 10 inch pie dish. (I'm guessing you could spread both crusts in a 9x13 pan if you wished.) Pour zucchini mixture between the two crusts. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until middle is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

14 comments :

  1. I Normally just shred the stuff and freeze for future Zucchini Bread.. or give away to friends.. never had a problem even with bat size ones..lol but that pie looks yummy.. almost quiche like

    ReplyDelete
  2. MMmm my favorite Zucchini dish is zucchini bread with choc chips. Not very healthy, but nice for an occasion.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You come up with the most interesting zucchini recipes! The one pot zucchini 'casserole' recipe that you shared earlier this summer remains one of our all time favorite recipes. SO good!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I still read your blog when I get a chance. I especially enjoy the ways you make all your produce work. I just planted some more zukes for the fall, so I will keep this recipe. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This looks good. I will have to give it a try. My zucchini is gone for this summer but hopefully I can remember it for next year. Enjoy your day and God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Feeding zucchini to the chickens isn't being ungrateful, just practical. And I'll bet the eggs taste particularly delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Have you ever tried canning zucchini? My mom canned squash when I was little for casseroles in the winter. I usually just freeze what I put up for winter. You are lucky to have so much-I can't get zucchini to grow in my garden for anything. Everything else grows wonderfully, but my zucchini comes from the farmers market. The pie looks wonderful-do your kids like it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nicole - Some of my children loved it and some turned up their nose and decided they didn't like it without even tasting it!
      Gina

      Delete
  8. Thanks for a new quiche idea! I am always looking for new ingredients to put into a quiche. This will be on a menu in the near future. :-). Having been blessed with a husband who eats most anything I am sure he will enjoy it as well! :-)

    Alicia

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just found your blog thru a google search, living like a Mennonite. We are Christians looking to live a more simple life in the subarbs of San Francisco. You have a lovely blog. I have read many enteries. Many blessings to you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I never tried that recipe from Simply in Season - good to know your review.

    If I have extra zucchini, I shred it and freeze it. I can bake with it in the winter, or stir it into spaghetti sauce or whatnot. However, I don't consider zucchini very nutrient-dense, so I don't bother with it too much if I don't have time :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. My mom just showed me your blog because I was looking for ways to cook in bulk. I must say, just after a few minutes of reading some posts I was ready to leap up and start cooking =)Our zucchini has been flourishing this season as well and we haven't done much with it for lack or recipes and now I have so many new things to try! My past few attempts at bread has failed with it not rising, rising too much and becoming dry. You make it look so easy and like "oh yeah, I can do that" =) Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is completely off topic but do you know how to make homemade root beer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashley -
      Root beer is something I've never made! Maybe I need to change that! It would be a fun challenge!
      Gina

      Delete

I love to hear from you.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails