This is the time of year that the zucchini you’ve left on the vine just keep getting bigger and bigger and  you’re wondering if you should even bother to pick them.  Grandma called them ‘gagootz”.  And why wouldn’t you call them that?! – it’s such a fun name!  They’re the huge zucchini that people refuse and won’t buy and farmers can’t sell.  But they’re still juicy and can be stuffed and baked or grated for pancakes or relish or bread, which we’ll get into later in this zucchini series.

Here’s a picture of two foot long gagootz in the field.  I picked them and baked some great stuffed zucchini!  Try to get them cheap at a farmers market (good luck with that one,  they seem to have the same attitude as many produce departments at chain stores:  they’d rather throw it away than sell it cheap.)

So get a big gagootz, slice it in half lengthwise and scoop out all the big seeds, leaving a margin of 1/2 inch around the edge.  Put the two halves in a baking dish, drizzle with great extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, then stuff them and bake them til done.  You can dress them with a little pesto or tomato sauce, but I usually just eat them as is.  Buon Appetito!

Zucchini Ripieno (stuffed zucchini)
This is an excellent summer recipe when the zucchini in the garden have gotten too large and have big seeds, not great for sautéing but perfect for stuffing.
2 large zucchini
2 lb ground meat, beef, lamb and/or pork sausage
Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1-2 cups chopped tomato
¾ cup grated Parmigiano or pecorino Romano
1 tbsp basil, chopped
Bread crumbs, optional
Sea salt & pepper
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, being careful to maintain even halves. Scoop out the inside of the zucchini, leaving the halves about ½ inch thick, depending on how big the zucchini are. Chop the zucchini you’ve scooped out and put aside.
Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is clear, add the extra chopped zucchini and the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, sautéing for a few minutes. Put the mixture in a bowl and add the meat, cheese, basil and salt & pepper to taste. If you’d like to add bread crumbs, mix those in as well.
Place the zucchini halves on a baking dish and coat with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Stuff the mixture into each half, pressing down to fill, drizzle with olive oil.  Put a little water in the bottom of the pan to keep them moist.  Bake the zucchini until browned and bubbling. They can be served hot or at room temperature.