Each summer there seems to be a point we reach where there is an overabundance of summer squash everywhere. A plethora, if you will. Gardening friends and familiy try to pawn it off on one another, CSA boxes go through a heavy squash period, and farmers market tables overflow with all kinds of squash varieties. Some people wonder, “what the heck am I going to do with all this squash?” I got ya covered.
This zucchini butter uses up a bunch of squash (2 pounds), but doesn’t leave you with a huge pot of leftovers to stash away in your fridge. The grated squash will seem like an enormous amount at first, but it cooks down to just 2 cups. You could even double the recipe and freeze half of it for later. The flavor is slightly sweet from the onion, garlic and squash that caramelize as the liquid evaporates. The curry powder adds an aromatic spice that suits the softened veggie perfectly.
You can put the zucchini butter on anything (everything)! Spread it on sandwiches, use it as a sauce for pizza, top hot dogs or hamburgers with it, spoon it into a pita pocket or just use it as a dip for crackers and flatbread. And I got ya covered on the flatbread, too! Riffing on an everything bagel, this whole wheat “everything” flatbread is somewhere between a cracker and bread and is super easy to make! Lots of seeds and crunchy salt on top make for an ideal companion to the creamy zucchini butter.
Cook down the zucchini until all the liquid has evaporated and it’s a spreadable consistency.
Smooth and irresistible. I just want to dig a spoon in there and eat it all. ALL.
Whole wheat flatbread dough with onion flakes. Knead into a ball then cut into thirds.
Roll it out to whatever shape you like, I go for the odd oval shape totally on purpose. Not.
Roll it out thin, to about 1/4 inch. Flat. Bread.
Toppings! Brush bread with olive oil then sprinkle on toppings.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper on top and press the toppings into the bread. That way after it bakes the toppings don’t just fall right off.
Bake at 450 degrees for 7 – 9 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool and repeat with remaining dough.
Seeds and salt. Yum.
Perfect for picnics and parties.
Dip it, smear it, scoop it, dive in.
Everything Flatbread with Curried Zucchini Butter
(makes 3 large flatbreads)
adapted from Simple Provisions
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (can also use all purpose)
1 Tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
poppy seeds
black (or white) sesame seeds
smoked salt
course or flaked salt (I used pink Himalayan salt)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, onion flakes, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in water and oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until a loose dough forms. Turn dough out onto a clean surface (not a floured surface) and knead until dough comes together in a ball (only takes a few minutes of kneading).
Cut dough into 3 pieces and wrap two of them separately in plastic wrap to set aside as you prepare the first piece. On a silicone baking mat or piece of parchment paper (that you tape down), roll out the first piece into a thin oval or rectangle shape, or whatever shape you desire. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle the dough with the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, smoked salt and course salt. Lay a clean piece of parchment paper over top of the dough and gently press the toppings into the dough; this way they don’t immediately fall off when you go to eat it. Take the top parchment off and reserve it for the remaining 2 pieces.
Lift your baking mat or parchment paper with the dough on it and place onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 7 – 9 minutes; bake for an additional minute or two for a more cracker-like texture. Place the bread on a rack to cool and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. If using parchment to bake on, use a fresh piece; if using a baking mat, let it cool enough to handle.
~Curried Zucchini Butter
(makes 2 – 2 1/2 cups)
adapted from Food52
2 pounds zucchini and/or various summer squash
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons minced onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 – 2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Cut both the ends off the zucchini/squash and coarsely grate them; no need to peel them, but if you’re using large squash you might want to scrape out some of the seeds first–otherwise just grate the whole thing. Place the grated squash in a clean towel or several layers of cheesecloth and squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can; the more liquid you can wring out the less time it will take the zucchini to cook down.
Heat oil in a large pot or skillet and cook onion and garlic for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the squash and 1 teaspoon of the curry powder and stir to combine. Cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until squash is cooked down to a spreadable consistency and all liquid has evaporated. If the squash starts to scorch on the bottom, turn heat down and scrape up the bits; you can add a splash of water to help deglaze the pan. It will take anywhere from 15 – 30 minutes to cook down, depending on how much moisture you squeezed out. Season with salt and pepper and add more curry powder if desired.
Enjoy!
the Seasonal Veg Head 
zucchini butter – what a cool idea!
thanks!! it’s so good!
What an interesting flatbread. From the ingredients, I know it tastes very nice. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Liz! The flatbread’s fun to make and can be varied in a lot of different ways. 🙂
Looks yummy! Unfortunately my summer squash plants were a complete fail this summer, but I’ll stash this away for next year!
Thank you Fawn! But rats, sorry to hear your summer squash didn’t make it this year! Maybe your local farmers market would have some? Or, like you said, give it a go next year!