I remember a chef teaching me to carefully slice the center seeds from a zucchini and then prepare beautiful dices for a ratatouilli. The seeds and center area get soft and mushy before the outer 'meaty' section of the squash cooks.
Zucchini and Yellow Squash
I love growing zucchini & various squashes in my vegetable garden, primarily for the yellow flowers. We collect the open flowers (blossoms) early in the morning, make sure there are no bees or bugs inside & carefully store them in the refrigerator to prepare 'fritters' at dinner. I make a savory batter with eggs, flour, parmesan cheese, torn blossoms & fresh basil leaves.
Zucchini is a versatile summer squash prized for its mild flavor, tender texture, and adaptability in cooking. Zucchini is great raw, grilled, roasted, sautéed, or incorporated into baked goods and fritters. Its high water content and neutral profile make it an ideal carrier for herbs, spices, and sauces, while its skin adds color and subtle bitterness when left intact.
Cutting Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Prep Time: 10 min
Yield:
Ingredients
1 ea Zucchini
How to Prepare Zucchini and Yellow Squash for cooking
Step 1
Rinse the squashes and dry-cut off each end with a sharp knife. Discard.
Carefully cut the squashes in half, the long way; then cut each in half again the long way.
Step 2
With a sharp knife, slice the center seed area out of each squash, slicing parallel and reserving the 'meaty' part of the squash (with the skin on).
Step 3
I prefer a diagonal or oblique type of cut for better utilization of the squashes. But nicely diced squashes are great for ratatouille or simply sauteed with tomatoes and basil.
You may save the centers/seeds for a lightly flavored vegetable
