Lambchinni!

Two donated monster zucchinis led me to a couple of new dishes.

First, the zuc's really were HUGE! Bowling pin sized. Good golly. Letitia's garden runs amok! But, I do like getting the veg...so thanks again! :-)
(here's the bigger of the two -->)

Smaller zuc: I'd been intending to make one more batch of gazpacho (because the wife loves it so), but the day that I did, it was pretty chilly out, so I also made a hearty, rich zucchini soup. I took the drippings and onions from Lebanese chicken, about 5 cups of water and added half the zuc to that broth. (No cream in it, but I thickened the broth up with cornstarch and bread crumbs. Turns out that both onion and zuc are not starchy enough to really thicken up the soup...oops. I thought I could use less water and more onion and still come out on top. Not so.) The other half of the zuc got chopped up small and then seared in a pan for some color. Boiled the broth and then blended it and tossed in the zuc cubes, some chopped overripe tomatoes and some grated carrots. Turned out pretty darned tasty, but a little lumpy. The bread crumbs did not "vanish into the soup stock" as promised. Hurrumph.

For the broth: next time I cook a chicken, I'm going chop and lay into the baking pan 2 whole onions *and* one good sized white potato. I cook the chicken on top of that, it allows for the chicken pieces to sit above, not in, the fat...mostly. (Mostly.) Then, when I set the drippings and veggies aside to make soup broth, the potato will already be in the mix for a thickened soup. No more futzing around w/ cornstarch...

Gigantor zuc: I wanted to make lamb for the Lebanese meal, but ended up with chicken, so I knew this was my chance to make the Lamb-stuffed Zucchini. Depending on the size of the squash, you can do this in what I'll call: torpedo-, trencher- or rounds-style. Basically small zuc's get hollowed out, stuffed and served whole; mediums get cut in half, scooped out and served as bowls of lamb; really large zuc's get stuffed then cut into medallions (jelly roll style).

I took the neck of the squash and turned it into trenchers, and the body and stuffed it whole. You take the cut-off ends of the zuc and toothpick them back onto the body to hold the stuffing in...
(pics: smalls on a plate, my trenchers and (soon-to-be) rounds on the cutting board and then in the pan)

I went with seasoned lamb, onions, rice and the flesh from the carved or hollowed out squash for the filling. Bread crumbs added to the top of the trenchers.

The sauce is just tomatoes, simmering for the whole prep time with chili powder and cinnamon, splash of lemon juice. I set the stuffed body in first; simmered for 10 min covered; turned it; then added the trencher-style and kept it on low for another 20 min (still covered). Made a side dish of couscous with broccoli.

The lamb kinda didn't want to stay in the medallions. I'd squeezed out *lots* of the fat and didn't use anything like egg or yogurt or parm cheese in the lamb mix as suggested by some of the recipes. You can also stuff with a "raw lamb + other ingredients" mixture and cook a little longer. I think that's they way I'll go next time. I was worried about overcooking the zuc, but with squash of a certain size, I think I could've steamed them for another 10-15 min and been OK.

So, how was it? I gotta say, despite the roasted garlic, thyme, cumin (*lots* of cumin) and a touch of cinnamon, the lamb might have been a little bland without the sauce. Hmmm! However, lambchinni, plus sauce plus heavily flavored couscous made for a rocking good meal!

And then there was cake! Our delightful friend and overly talented baker, Allison offered me a trade of cake for a take-out order of lambchinni (and she made up the name, too...). And, ooooooh...such cake. Chiffon, she said? With strawberries from the veggie box, no less. It was so choice. If you have the means towards making a deal with a talented baker, I highly recommend picking one up. I am not afraid to say: I think I got the better half of the deal!

Finally: eager to try out my new individual pie pans (part of the generous birthday gift from the lovely parents-in-law), I made bread bowls! I've been thinking about making them at home since the Brit visited (we had Boudin's in SF) and a whole pie is a little much for just two (pot pie, berry pie, tomato pie!) I used the NYT "No Knead" recipe, made 5 or 6" rounds and baked them at 400 for 24-ish minutes. They came out looking pretty good. Sounded ok (thump, thump). We'll have them tomorrow for dinner and see how it worked out.