Middle Eastern Zucchini Bake

Tender Zucchini with rice and ground meat imbued with warm Arab spices - a Middle Eastern favorite!

Is your garden overtaken by zucchini? Does your freezer hold all the zucchini bread it possibly can? Do your neighbors refuse to answer the door when they see you coming with baskets of that ridiculously productive produce? Has the zucchini in your garden grown to be larger than your baby? What to do?

Here is one unique but delicious solution in this Middle Eastern inspired zucchini bake! The zucchini or "kousa" indigenous to the Middle East is a fairer variety, in color and texture. The favored size is small, 6-8 inches in length and about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, but your standard American-sized zucchinis are willing to take the “kousas” place.

Traditionally “kousa” are hollowed out and filled with the same meat and rice mixture described in this version. Where the they are cooked in a large pot among layers of sliced tomato perhaps along with stuffed eggplant and chunks of beef or lamb to infuse the “kousa” with flavor, this version is somewhat less finicky. And instead of using the hollowed out innards for other things (muffins, bread, fritters) the zucchini are left intact to enjoy the whole vegetable. But the wonderful, Middle Eastern spiced flavors and the silkiness created by the caramelized onions are the same, the ingredients just layered then baked in a rich tomato sauce, studded with pine nuts, garlic, croutons and sprinkled with sumac - don’t forget the sumac! A Jordanian entree would never be complete without the accompanying yogurt sauce which makes it all hum (in Arabian modalities) Sumac and Yogurt Sauce recipe - (see below)

Middle Eastern Zucchini Bake

4 -5 medium sized zucchini, ends trimmed

1 large onion, slivered

1 lb. ground lamb or beef

olive oil for frying

¾ cups rice, pre-soaked in water

3 cups fresh tomato sauce or paste to make sauce

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

juice of 1 lemon

¾ cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

-Brown ground meat and season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves and allspice. Drain well and set aside.

-Place rice in a small saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. Cover and lower to the lowest setting on your stove. Let steam for 20 minutes. Keep covered and remove from heat and leave covered for 10 more minutes. Fluff with fork and set aside.

-Slice 2 - 3 whole zucchinis into thin 1/2 inch slices length wise (you should be able to get about 4 slices per zucchini.) In an 8 X 10 inch baking dish brush olive oil generously over the bottom of the dish. Layer enough slices of the zucchini to cover most of the bottom then brush the zucchini slices on the top with more olive oil. Sprinkle on a bit of salt. Place in a 390 degree oven and cook zucchini until it begins to brown on the edges and the tops (about 20 minutes). Remove from the oven.

-Mix cooked rice with meat. Stir in half of the pine nuts and parsley. If the meat is fatty, you will not need more fat. If the meat is dry, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to the mixture. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Layer the meat mixture over the zucchini slices in the dish.

-Meanwhile, brown the onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil until caramelized (about 20 minutes over medium-low heat). Add the tomato sauce and lemon juice and boil for 10 minutes at boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and thicken another 5 minutes.

-With a vegetable peeler, make stripes down the sides of the remaining zucchini so you have about 1/2 inch stripe of skin next to a 1/2 inch stripe of peeled surface, to create striped zucchini. Cut these zucchini into 3 lengths from each zucchini and arrange on top of tomato mixture in baking dish in a pleasing pattern created by the striped zucchini.

-Bake the completed dish uncovered at 375 degrees until bubbly and the zucchini slices on top are beginning to brown. (Place under the broiler for a few moments if needed to give some brown and a bit of crisp to the top slices.) Garnish with more chopped parsley and the remainder of the pine nuts and a couple of lemon wedges. Serve with “Khyar bi laban” (similar to “tzatziki” sauce. Recipe below). Let rest 10 - 15 minutes before serving

-Serves 8 - 10

Slice zucchinis lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick.

Roast zucchini in oven until it begins to brown.

Layer rice and ground beef mixture over the zucchini in the baking dish.

Spoon tomato onion sauce over the meat and rice layer.

Bake zucchini layered dish until bubbly then serve garnished with parsley and nuts and with yogurt sauce.

Arab Yogurt Sauce (“Khyar bi laban”)
2 cups plain yogurt, not Greek style

4 baby cucumbers or 1 large English cucumber, diced into 1/2 inch pieces (with peel)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh mint minced (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

black pepper

juice of 1/2 lemon

olive oil to drizzle

-In a medium bowl, combine yogurt with cucumbers, garlic, mint, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Stir to combine, cover and chill in the fridge until you're ready to serve. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil right before serving if desired.

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**Sumac is a spice used in Jordanian and Lebanese recipes, which, when ground, is dark red in color with a tangy, lemony and smoky flavor. It is used on meat entrees, salads and soups. With its deep red hue sumac spice is a great way to add acidity and color to Middle Eastern recipes. Harvested from the berry fruit of a sumac shrub that grows in Mediterranean regions, its color adds to a dish the way paprika does for a nice contrast. An essential spice to do Middle Eastern right! (Sold on Amazon and Penzey Spices. Also available at international markets or Middle Eastern groceries.)