Marrocotti

Simply put, marrocotti is my word for stuffing a squash like a noodle.

Harvesting is tricky.  Leafy squash and cucumber plants create canopies of camouflage for the delicate fruits below. And every once in a while (or quite frequently), the harvester finds a doozy. For me, the initial reaction of "whoa, look at this!" is usually followed by slight pangs of remorse for the neglect it suffered and then the convicted conundrum of how to eat it and enjoy it. Nothing shall go to waste.  

So tonight, we feast on "marrocotti" - my term for a an overgrown zucchini (a marrow) stuffed like a manicotti noodle. I'm sure the idea exists online, but for me it was born at a "zucchini fest" I organized during my first year of volunteerism at the Heifer Ranch. Courgettes were running rampant and we needed to take action. The solution: a potluck with dishes that must contain zucchini.  The results were impressive. 

And for me, gluten-free at the time, this was a great way to modify one of my favorite dishes. A hollow marrow provides countless culinary possibilities. Treat it like any pasta dish - spicy sausage, chopped greens, mushrooms and a variety of sauces are all delicious ways to mix it up.

So here's a photo recipe to get your brain marrow-nating. (I couldn't resist.)

Wash your courgette and cut off the ends so that it fits in your baking dish.

Using a knife or a serrated grapefruit spoon, hollow out the inside.
You can also just cut off the top like a Subway sandwich and hollow it out.

In a small mixing bowl make your filling.  I used ricotta cheese, two farm eggs,
salt, pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and some fresh chopped basil. 

I like to bake the marrow stuffed, surrounded and smothered.
I used the top* end of the zucchini, a summer squash, tomatoes, garlic, onions
and one of the last remaining jars of tomato sauce from last summer.

Stuff the marrow with the cheese filling (HINT: The cut off piece from the bulb end
is great for plugging one end while you fill the other). Lay it down on a bed of
chopped onions and layer the other veggies in around it. 

Smother it with sauce and bake it for an hour at 325 or until it's tender.
I like to add shredded cheese on top half way through the cooking time.

Let it rest before serving. 

Time flies...

...and cucumbers get chubby.  We've been on the road for the bulk of the 30 days.  In garden terms, this is a crucial time.  Thanks to drip systems, timers and friendly neighbors, our garden survived the first weeks of June. At home we are enjoying wee (yet diverse) backyard harvests on a daily basis.  The farm has managed to independently produce a decent harvest of broccoli, potatoes and blackberries. Our rows at the neighborhood Victory Garden are yielding sweet tomatoes, tiny okra, surprise zucchinis and a bumper crop of cucumbers.

And oh the cukes - neglected little prickly chubs which will soon be transformed into cool summer salads, crisp tasty pickles and fancy little sandwiches.

After a week away, we were welcomed home by 42 lbs of cucumbers.
These are the big ones destined for pickle spears and halves. 

So the greenhouse stands abandoned and the beds runneth over. Dirt decorates my nails and humidity styles my hair. The flowers make me gush and the bugbites make me dance. Summer has arrived in style!