Large courgettes stuffed with mushrooms, ham, breadcrumbs and Gruyere or Parmesan cheese.
From September here, people who grow zucchini in their garden are starting to spot oversized zukes that somehow missed being picked earlier and just kept growing.
My mom’s friend, Claire, gave us one of these monster zucchini’s from her garden this week — 14 inches long and weighing at least a few pounds!
Stuffed zucchini with ham and mushrooms
ingredients
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4 medium zucchini (at least 1/2 pound each) OR 3 large zucchini (3/4 pound each) OR 1 jumbo zucchini (2 pounds)
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4 tablespoons butter, divided
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1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
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10 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
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1/2 cup finely chopped ham
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2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
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1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
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Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
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1/3 cup breadcrumbs
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1/3 cup grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese
method
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Preparing the zucchini:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash and scrub the zucchini; each in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp, leaving the skins about 1/3 inch to 1/2 inch thick.
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Steam the zucchini halves:
Sauté the zucchini halves until almost tender, about 8-12 minutes depending on the size of the zucchini.
Note that you will need to get creative with steaming a jumbo zucchini as the halves will not fit in a regular steamer. I steamed mine in a fish poacher. You could place a large zucchini on a rack in a skillet over half an inch of boiling water, cover with aluminum foil, and cook in a hot oven until almost tender.
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Sauté onions, mushrooms, add ham, parsley:
While the courgettes are sautéing, melt 3 tbsp butter in a large skillet, add the chopped onions and sliced mushrooms, and sauté until soft. Stir in the ham, parsley and Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.
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Fill the zucchini halves:
Stuff the stuffing into well-drained zucchini peels. Mix the breadcrumbs and grated cheese and sprinkle over the stuffed zucchini. Melt 1 tbsp butter and drizzle over the breadcrumbs.
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Bake:
Place the zucchini boats in a greased baking pan; bake at 350°F until toasted on top and warmed through, 20-30 minutes.
