03 August 2020

Zucchini lasagna

And it fell right out of the pan. When I turned the pan over, that is. This is a zucchini (courgettes) lasagna that I didn't actually have a recipe for. I just made it. After it cooked, I let it cool and then put it in the refrigerator for 24 hours, in the baking pan. When it was completely chilled, I turned the pan over on a board and crossed my fingers. It worked, as you can see. We haven't tasted it yet, by the way.


I had cut the zucchini (2 largish ones) into fairly thick rounds — say 2 centimeters, about ¾ of an inch thick — and then cooked them in a steamer pot. I think the reason the lasagne fell right out of the pan is that the bottom layer was a thin coating of tomato sauce, with a drizzle of olive oil and some crumbled, dried oregano leaves. Next was a lasagna noodle (une feuille de lasagne). Over the noodle I put a layer of zucchini disks, and over those I spread a layer of meat sauce that I had made with ground beef, aromatic vegetables, herbs, and crushed tomatoes (tomates concassées). And on top of that some cubes of mozzarella cheese and some grated Parmesan.


Then I repeated that layering two more times, ending with a lasagna noodle spread with the rest of the tomato sauce and a good layer of the same cheeses on top. In the photo above, you can see the lasagna turned upside down on a board, after it fell right out of the pan. I then cut it into two pieces and turned one of those pieces over you you could see the browned melted cheese on top. That's the photo below.


The goal was to put the two blocks of lasagna loaf into the freezer for future enjoyment. We have no shortage of courgettes right now. Courgette, by the way, is the French and British word for zucchini — une courge is a tough-skinned (winter) squash, and une courgette is a tender, immature (summer) squash. We often freeze foods like this one on a "silpat" silicone baking mat and after they're frozen put them in plastic bags for long-term freezer storage.


There you have it. I can't wait to taste it, but I'll have to be patient. Today we're having couscous for lunch. That's a broth made with tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, turnips, carrots (etc. etc.) and spices. More about that tomorrow. We are taking advantage of a short spell of cool weather to do some baking and boiling before the hot weather returns toward the end of the week (according to predictions).

16 comments:

  1. We're having cooler weather just now, too. It's such a joy. This zucchini lasagna looks delicious. I wonder if it would be possible to cut the zucchini in long slices and omit the noodles. This would not make it taste better, but it would be low carb which matters to some of us. I didn't know that fact about courge and courgette. Interesting.

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    1. I'm sure you could make this without the lasagna noodles. Maybe you could use blanched or cooked cabbage or chard or even lettuce leaves in place of the noodles.

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  2. When in California, I used to make this kind if dish, but used ham slices to separate layers if memory serves.

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    1. Ham slices sound like a very good idea, but then I'd use a vegetarian tomato sauce, not a meat sauce. I've done the same thing with a sauce mornay, ham, onions, and zucchini.

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    2. If I recall correctly, the layers were eggplant, tomato sauce, ham slices and Swiss cheese slices. We ate it from the oven dish. There were onions and herbs in the tomato sauce.

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    3. CHM, how are you doing? Sending good vibes to you!

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    4. Elgee, rehab - or what they call rehab, which is not much - has stopped ten days ago because of the insurance. I still cannot walk! I still don't know what is my status concerning Covid-19. Still asymptomatic! I appreciate your concern and thank you for your kind words. Stay safe.

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  3. OMG, that looks so tasteful, Ken! I guess I wouldn't be patient enough ... ;-)!

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  4. I see that you're really expecting some hot hot hot weather at the end of the week. Yikes!

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  5. Wow, does that look good! Thank you for sharing it with us.

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  6. Looks heavenly! I bet it would be good served cold on a hot day too, with a salad! Glad you have so many courgettes...you must have bees. I have zucchini plants that bloom continuously, big yellow flowers, but don't set any fruit. I can only conclude that bees are the missing ingredient.

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    1. Do you eat the flowers? They're good stuffed with goat cheese with garlic and herbs, lightly panned in olive oil.

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    2. Ken thank you for this suggestion. I'd forgotten this was an option. ;-)

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  7. From USA Today, Isaias is forecast to make landfall as a hurricane in the Carolinas on Monday night and will bring dangerous storm surge and flash flooding to most of the Eastern Seaboard over the next few days, the National Weather Service said. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, …

    I keep my fingers crossed for your family and all the people who might be affected.

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