Zucchini usually serves as filler in my recipes. I often fail to celebrate its mild flavor. But this weekend, a first course at Convivio in New York reminded me how good zucchini can be. The course: stracciatella with creamy cheese curds and julienned zucchini. The flavors spoke volumes in a sumptuous whisper. 

I decided to whip up a simple zucchini-based dinner of my own on Tuesday. And coming off of a week’s vacation with bags to unpack, a messy house, etc., speed was of the utmost importance. 

I settled on pre-packaged gnocchi along with ingredients I always have on hand—butter, pecans and red pepper flakes. The results couldn’t have been more satisfying. Lots of brown butter provided all the richness and sauciness a gnocchi could want, crunchy pecans offered up texture and sweetness and the zucchini worked its quiet magic. 

Brown Butter Gnocchi with Zucchini and Pecans
4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 (heaping) cup chopped pecans
1 pound zucchini, cut into 2-inch hunks and julienned 
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
16 ounces packaged potato gnocchi
1/3 cup grated Parmesan 

Instructions
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Just as it begins to turn golden, add pecans. Cook pecans until flesh is light golden and butter is browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add zucchini and red pepper flakes, and cook for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

As zucchini cooks, add gnocchi to water, and cook according to package directions. Drain gnocchi, and add them to frying pan, tossing with butter, zucchini, and pecans. 

Top gnocchi with parmesan cheese and serve.

Serves 3 main course portions

I had the satisfaction of eating this zucchini cheese toast for breakfast this morning. But this open-faced, sandwich-like creation also would make a fabulous light lunch or dinner. It has all my favorite food groups: cheese, eggs, vegetables and bread. I found this gem of a recipe in Easy Vegetarian (Rylan Peters & Small) and made a few modifications. 

Since I’m cooking for one, I cut the recipe in half (1/2 large egg = 2 tablespoons). I placed my zucchini mixture atop slices of no-knead bread in a hurry and broiled it until it was golden and crusty. To add a British spin to my morning, I placed slices of Roma tomatoes, drizzled with oil oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper, under the broiler as well.

What a lovely way to start my Friday.

Zucchini-Cheese Toast
4 hunks/slices of bread, lightly toasted
2 zucchini, grated
1 1/3 cups shredded, sharp cheddar
2 tablespoons, diced sweet onion
1 large egg, beaten
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to a 500° broil. Drain excess moisture from grated zucchini (I rolled mine up in an absorbant towel). Combine zucchini, cheddar, onion, egg, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Top toasted bread with zucchini mixture, and place under broiler until golden.

Serves 2 for a main course or 4 as a side or appetizer

I’m still whittling down my vegetable bounty from my Sunday trip to Bargain Town, and tonight I threw together a summer vegetable sauté to go with links of smoked sausage and smashed red skin potatoes. 

Summer Vegetable Sauté
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups sliced okra
5 green onions, white and tender green parts cut into thin rounds
1 large or 2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3 ears corn with kernels removed
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a deep sauté pan over medium high heat. Add okra, and cook 2 to 3 minutes to reduce its slime factor. Throw in onions, cooking for 1 minute; then zucchini, cooking 3 minutes more. Stir in corn, and cook for 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, and turn off the burner (they’ll be ready to burst by the time your plate hits the table). 

Serves 6

This meal is my parting ode to Miami’s seasonal farmers’ markets, which pop up around the city January through April while the rest of the country is still frozen solid. 

Almost all but the zucchini for this dish came from my favorite Bayfront park vendor. I stumbled upon this Greek stew (it’s traditionally called fassolakia Iadera) while searching epicurious.com for a fitting way to dispose of my vegetable bounty. I took a few liberties with the original recipe: I pureed fresh tomatoes instead of using canned, utilized my overstock of new potatoes with the skins left on, and threw in as much oregano as my tiny plant would yield (a mere tablespoon).

Chunks of feta absolutely made this dish. Bites without tasted like, well, vegetable soup. But add a fleck of feta and now we’re talking. I’m also boycotting the $5 loaves of bread at my grocery store, so I worked on dough for no-knead bread in a hurry this morning and baked it while my stew simmered. 

I also prepped the green beans and zucchini this morning before heading to work (so I wouldn’t be starving before the stew hit our bowls). To no avail, William and I were so hungry we forgot to snap a picture.  

Greek Green Bean, Zucchini, and Potato Stew
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 pound green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
1/4 teasspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces small new (red) potatoes, quartered with skins left on
8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds
3/4 cup chopped parsley
2 large tomatoes, pureed
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Pepper to taste

Accompaniments
Feta
Crusty bread

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart, straight-sided (or deep) saute pan over medium high heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Toss in green beans and cayenne and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add zucchini and potatoes to the pan, and pour in tomato puree. Stir in parsley, oregano, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pan, and turn heat to low. Simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender. Season with pepper and additional salt to your liking.

Serve topped with feta and heart bread for sopping. 

Serves 4 to 6