Quirky Gourmet: Recipe for Monday's Humble Feast

Zucchini photo by Devra Gartenstein

Devra Gartenstein, the Quirky Gourmet, is staging a Humble Feast dinner this coming Monday at her Patty Pan restaurant, 15550 27th Ave NE, Shoreline 98155, 5:30 - 7:30pm.

The full menu for Monday:

Stuffed Zucchini

Green Salad

White Beans with Garlic Scapes

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Berry Crisp

"Patty Pan's Humble Feast is a series of community-based dinner events featuring local ingredients sourced primarily from area farmers who are our friends and neighbors at the markets. But these dinners are also a practical attempt to answer the question: how can we eat well without busting our budgets?"

Advance tickets are $10 - $12 at the door.

Stuffed Zucchini (makes 6 servings) 

3 medium-size zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound ground beef or ½ pound cooked lentils
½ teaspoon salt, or more, to taste
Half an onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano or 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
¼ cup chopped fresh tomato or canned crushed tomato
¼ cup grated cheese such as parmesan or feta (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boil water in a medium-size stockpot. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, and then cut each half crosswise to make four pieces from each zucchini. Blanch the pieces in the boiling water for about a minute and then drain or remove them with tongs.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-size skillet. Add the ground beef and salt. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, and then add the onion, garlic, basil, and oregano. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the onion is soft and translucent, and then add the tomato and cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the mixture starts to thicken.

For the vegetarian version, heat the oil and then add the onion, garlic, basil, oregano and salt. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes, and then add the lentils and turn off the heat.

When the zucchini is cool enough to handle, gently scoop out as much of the flesh as you can without breaking the skin. Finely chop the pulp, and then add it to the beef or lentil mixture. Spoon this mixture into the zucchini shells, and top with grated cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes, until heated through.