Ways to use up zucchini bounty

Although zucchini is the most humble of vegetables -- and no fashionista, like its more premium counterparts such as asparagus and artichokes -- it has plenty of gardening and dining fans.

If your garden is overflowing with a wealth of zucchini and you can't share your bounty fast enough, challenge yourself to serve it in some ingenious, interesting ways. Ever thought of zucchini carpaccio, zucchini noodles, zucchini hummus or zucchini salsa?

You can stuff zucchini with a variety of meat or poultry mixtures, stir-fry or roast it or shred it and top with fresh tomato or jarred pasta sauce, slip it into meatloaf or coleslaw or bake it in chocolate or cream cheese cake and bread. Even slice it up for zucchini Parmigiana or lasagna.

For carpaccio, try overlapping slices of zucchini drizzled with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing, then sprinkled with pine nuts, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Or try long thin zucchini "noodles" dressed with a basil- almond pesto, doctoring up store-bought or homemade basil pesto by whirring in some arugula leaves and almonds and a little more liquid (stock or oil or a combination).

The noodles or shreds would also work well with a light fresh uncooked tomato sauce or a jarred meatless spaghetti sauce.

"I have more fun with zucchini," says Lou Seibert Pappas, author of "A Harvest of Pumpkins and Squash." One of her favorite ways to use grated zucchini is in a chocolate cake. She also uses them on flour tortillas to make fast-fix pizzas. Place the tortillas on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, then spread with tomato paste or olive oil and layer with zucchini slices

Zucchini frittatas are also on her radar occasionally, as are zucchini-stuffed grilled chicken breasts.

More zucchini to use up? Try petite zucchini slices on flatbread with arugula pesto, smoked mozzarella and olives. Or a puréed soup made with zucchini, stock, a little cream, onions, garlic and basil and topped with arugula pesto.

From garden to kitchen

• When it comes to picking zucchini, it should be young, about 11/2 inches in diameter and range from 6 to 8 inches long.

• When selecting zucchini (both green and yellow or golden) at the market, look for squash with bright glossy skins, those that are firm and heavy for their size and free from bruises or mold. Small to medium zucchini are preferred.

• Rinse zucchini with cold water and trim ends just before using. Peel only if specified in recipes.

• Zucchini requires little or no cooking, depending on the recipe. Different varieties can be used interchangeably in cooking.

• Zucchini lends itself to grilling, broiling, stir-frying, steaming, sautéing, oven roasting and microwaving.

• Zucchini partners well with many flavors, among them garlic, cheeses, walnuts, yogurt, tomatoes, parsley, basil, oregano, dill, mint, lemon, soy, ginger and much more.

• To freeze to use later in cooked dishes, cut zucchini into thick slices, blanch in boiling water two to three minutes, remove to ice water to cool and drain well. Pack and seal in airtight freezer bags. If planning to use in baked goods like cakes or breads, rinse zucchini, shred and pack in freezer bags or containers. Best used within three to four months.