The Locavore store is teaming with Zucchini at the moment – largely thanks to the efforts of our youngest producer, Russell Oversby. 10-year-old Russell has a knack for vegetable growing and has got quite a mini market garden happening on his Bindoon farm. We have certainly been enjoying the fruits of his labour this season, and quite a few customers have been sharing their creative uses of the abundant marrow.
Stuffed zucchini has been mentioned a number of times as a great vegetarian meal or stylish side dish so I thought I’d give it a go, particularly as it can be made with all in-season, locally grown produce.
• 2 large zucchinis, halved lengthwise
• 2/3 cup black barley (or rice)
• Olive oil
• 1 x leek
• 1 x carrot roughly grated
• 1 bag Loose Leaf Lettuce co spinach or garden silverbeet
• 200 g Local Goat farmhouse cheese (or mild cheddar) grated
• 1 packet Local Goat Feta sliced in strips*
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 200°C and line a large baking tray with grease proof paper
2. Cut the zucchini in halves lengthwise. Scoop out the fleshy bit with the seeds, leaving a 2 cm (approx.) rim around each half. Place in the baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Oven bake for 20 mins or until just cooked (don’t let it get too soft!).
3. Cook 2/3 cup of black barley or rice according to directions, and set aside.
4. Fry off the filling. Chop up the scooped-out flesh and transfer it all to a kitchen strainer to drain excess moisture, and then add to a frypan with chopped leeks, cooked black barley or rice, spinach and grated carrot. Stir fry with a little olive oil until well combined. Remove from the heat and stir in grated cheese.
5. Remove zucchini shells from oven and fill with the mixture, topping with feta strips *or grated parmesan and the panko breadcrumbs to make it crunchy.
Bake for a further 10 mins before serving. I added chopped tomato for decoration — later using them in passata…
