In case you haven’t noticed, farm stands and neighborhood gardens are bursting with produce this time of year. But only one vegetable gets its own special, albeit unusual, holiday—the prolific zucchini. Summer squash is so abundant that Tom and Ruth Roy of Mount Gretna, Pa., came up with an idea to share the harvest, inventing “National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbors’ Porch Day” to be celebrated (feared?) on Aug. 8. The Roys offer tongue-in-cheek tips on how to give away the vegetable on their website, www.wellcat.com, along with planting tips and recipes. If you’re the lucky recipient of someone’s largesse, here’s one of my favorite ways to serve zucchini.
Parmesan Zucchini Sticks
3 large zucchinis
1 ½ cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
¼ cup grated, fresh Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs
Cooking spray
Marinara sauce, optional
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each zucchini in half crosswise; cut each half lengthwise into eight wedges. Combine panko, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk eggs and place in another shallow dish.
Dip zucchini sticks in the egg; then dredge in panko mixture. Place zucchini on a wire rack coated with cooking spray, set on a cookie sheet. Lightly coat zucchini with cooking spray.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve with marinara sauce if desired.
—Adapted from Cooking Light
