My dear friend Diana dropped over for a cup of tea last week.
She brought with her a bag full of large squashes from her farm garden, with a couple of turnips thrown in for good measure. Aren’t they magnificent? I was a little tempted to keep them as a table decoration.
Instead, I stuffed the two large ones with rice, using the purple rice I’d bought at Alfalfa House and following this recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty…
It was particularly good served at room temperature with Pete’s homemade Greek yoghurt!
The remaining squash were grated and baked into Genie’s zucchini slice …
This savoury slice recipe is one of the most popular on our blog, and with due cause – Genie’s recipe is incredibly simple and absolutely delicious. We ate it for dinner last night, and then Big Boy demolished the leftovers for breakfast this morning.
Instead of zucchini, I used Di’s squashes (skin and all) and substituted diced uncooked pancetta for the fried bacon. Combined with fresh eggs from our chooks, and a mix of fresh mozzarella and Picasso sheeps’ cheese, it made for a very simple and delicious dinner!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Oh- those squash and turnips are a sight for winter blurred eyes!
We had an accumulation of 8 inches yesterday and the thought of Spring has sadly receded. But Summer’s bounty?
Still dreaming about that!
Purple rice- does it have its own flavor, as well as beautiful color?
Ooh how delicious that looks! Makes me hungry for something vegetably right now! Eggs and cheese and veggies – perfect!
I’m printing off the courgette slice (sorry I’m English!) right now. Love the purple rice, love Plenty – happy to gaze longingly at a picture of beautiful squash and turnips too.
I’ve put Genie’s zucchini bake away for use this coming summer – looks delicious.
As you say, those vegies do look magnificent. Zucchini slice is a regular with us to so I will try Genie’s recipe next time – might even use my own zucchinis – I think I am finally getting some pollination happeneing.
What a lovely medley of veggies! They almost are to pretty to eat aren’t they?
Thanks for the slice recipe, guess what I’ll be making tomorrow? I still have several hundred zucchinis to pick and eat!
The zucchini slice is perfect for dinner. Fresh veges, your girls eggs and a dash of cheese…couldn’t be better!
I’ll have to try and get some of the purple rice, my mum was raving about it recently.
Good morning, gorgeous people! I hope you’re all well this morning.. :)
Heidi, the purple rice is a little bit sweet – it reminds me a bit of the red rice desserts we ate growing up (I wrote about it here). It is mixed with white jasmine rice, so it wasn’t all purple rice, yet it all turned that colour on cooking! :)
Joooaaanaa (I was singing your name :))…the nicest thing about Genie’s slice is that it’s really good the following day as well. It’s perfect for a school lunchbox!
Sally, Plenty is the second most used cookbook in our house at the moment (Mrs Field’s Cookie Book is the all time most cooked from book here). Every recipe I’ve made from Plenty has worked magnificently!
Doc, I hope you enjoy it! It’s very easy to make! I’ve taken to substituting chopped pancetta flat for the fried bacon – one less pan to wash up. :)
Davey, Becca, I wish we had zucchs! Our vines just carked it – I think the cucumber beetles did them in. We’re going to try again – maybe the cooler weather will be kinder to them!
Brydie, I found mine at Alfalfa House in Enmore. Be warned, stuff there is quite expensive, but they do have some very unusual things!
These are gorgeous! I love their imperfection and how interesting the big fat squishy ones looks!
Thanks for the recipe too :)
My kids were practically brought up on zucchini slice (I found my recipe in an old Women’s Weekly cookbook) as it is possible to hide any number of veggies in there – if you chop them finely enough! It is a favourite standby and also freezes well.
Mrs Bok, they were all so lovely – the bigger ones actually a bit like a cross between a pumpkin and a small yellow button squash…
Amanda, it really is a winner of a recipe, isn’t it? I have no idea where Genie’s came from, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an old AWW recipe.. :)
I have massive zucchinis growing in my garden that seem to triple in size overnight, so I will definitely be trying out this recipe to use these up!
I cannot wait to be back home to be able to get vegetables like Di’s squashes.
Just popped over to see your recipe for Genie’s Zucchini slice – oh yummy! I can’t wait to give it a try. *Crossing fingers, this weekend.*
:-) Mandy
Don’t they look gorgeous Celia. I’d be tempted to leave them as a centrepiece too. Love the idea of using the squash this one too. I’m heading out to the family farm next weekend & I’ve been warned the zucchini & squash are a flourishing (which is code of course to bring plenty of zucchini & squash recipes). Good timing I’d say Celia… you’re making me look good :) :)
Such a beautiful selection. Oh to have friends with such abundant gardens.
This post exudes such “healthiness” and yet it all looks so delicious. The colour of the squash varieties and your filling and your slice. Oh my. I feel healthier just for visiting. I wish I had some zucchini in my garden but unfortunately my family is not a fan of this vegetable.
Susan, I wish I had giant zucchinis!! My family adore them, in just about everything!
Mandy, hope you like the recipe! Genie kept half the street fed on it.. :)
Anna, they’re sure to be impressed..take some nice cheese with you to put into the slice! :)
Claire, I know, isn’t it amazing!! I’ve never seen such beautiful squashes! I think Di and Ian can grow just about anything!
Mariana, thank you! Aah well, we all have to cook what they’ll eat.. ;-)
I’m going to make that zucchini recipe. The zucchini here are excellent. Have you seen the round ones? I like to stuff them and cook them in the oven – yum.
I really need to give that zucchini slice a try-vegetables make the best cake fillings and I love how moist they end up being too! :D
They’re just fantastic!! Home-grown veggies are simply the best! Good choice for your recipes!
Love the look of the squashes! I’ve got a zucchini that is now begging for me to turn it into a slice. 8)
Deb, I’ve never seen round zucchini! I think you’ll enjoy the slice! :)
Lorraine, I’m surprised how much the texture changes – so much so that kids often don’t pick it!
Rita, thank you!
Soy, aren’t they beautiful? Di’s just emailed to offer me some more – I’m quite excited!! :)
Oh squashes are wonderful things, oh squashes are wonderful things, oh squashes are wonderful …. Just love them. We still have some three year old ones in the house as decorations.
Off to investigate your slice now.
Don’t you just love all the shapes and sizes squash come in? The stuffed one looks delish- literally a little ‘patty pan’ holding in the goodness – so cute! We like pancetta in zucchini slice too..so much more flavour :)
Hi Celia!
The pictures of the squash look lovely, especially when it’s so cold here right now. There’s a strong north wind blowing, and it’s below -20 without the windchill. But we can look forward to spring soon, I hope!
I’ve tucked Genie’s recipe away for summer use when there will be zucchinni in abundance. Looks like a very simple, tasty dish. Thanks for the recipe.
Manuela
Celia, you’ve won me. I have squash coming out my ears. Unfortunately my zucchini are suffering from some form of end-rot (I must google why???), or maybe you can enlighten me, so will definitely try your recipe with substituted squash.
I too am a Linda Woodrow fan, still very much a newbie, but cannot believe the produce thanks to my gorgeous chooks.
I’ve been enjoying your site for months, sorry I haven’t commented earlier.
After recently neglecting my garden for a couple of days, I found squash the size of small pumpkins, so stuffed them with a savoury mince mixture. Not too bad!
I had also decided recently to start making my own sourdough bread, so really appreciated your last couple of posts.
Absolutely love your site. Thanks for the inspiration.
Choclette, they really are so gorgeous, I’m humming along with you! Di’s just given me a large bag full, plus a stack of cucumbers – great since our vine died off during the heat wave!
Chris, ever since I’ve discovered pancetta, I’ve almost stopped cooking with bacon, except for breakfast fry-ups! I put it in almost everything! :)
Manuela, I hope it warms up for you soon! It never gets that cold here, so I’m always amazed by photos of snow in the Northern Hemisphere!
Fiona, you’re very kind, thanks for stopping in to leave a comment! I wish I could advise you on zucchinis, but we’re really very novice gardeners, and we didn’t get a single zucchini this year. Thank goodness for my generous friends! Look forward to seeing how you go with the sourdough – be warned, it’s very addictive! :)
It’s funny how you forget about recipes that you used to make all the time. I used to make zucchini slice a lot but haven’t made it in an age. I like this simple recipe so that’s a great place to start (also love the perfect golden sheen on yours).
Sarah, it’s one of those recipes, isn’t it? It kind of gets forgotten, then you drag it out and make it every week for a couple of months, then it goes back in the drawer again.. :)