Before there was Too Much Zucchini

Cavelli is the variety of summer squash we planted, not knowing what it would look like. In mid-July we harvested our first one: a soft skinned, sea green specimen about 8 inches long. There were several on the vine right behind it in maturity, so we decided to start thinking about what to make with this zucchini.

The eggplant were not nearly ready — just lavender flowers under beautiful leaves — so we decided to try substituting zucchini for the eggplant in our traditional moussaka recipe.

Cut the squash in slices (about 3 to the inch) then quarter them if more than an inch across.
Arrange the pieces in a casserole pan with similarly sliced potatoes.

Zucchini Lamb Moussaka

1 big zucchini
1 lb of potatoes
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup tomatoes chopped roughly
1 tbs fresh parsley
1 cup cream or milk & Greek yogurt mixture

Saute sliced onion and chopped garlic, add chopped fresh tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes while you brown the lamb in another pan. I added some fresh onions from a Farmer’s market to the lamb.

When the ground lamb has lost its pinkness, add the cinnamon. I used a fresh ground cinnamon from Savory spice shop that is from Vietnam, and is not actually cinnamon but Cassia. True cinnamon comes from Ceylon and has a very spicy and almost curry smell and flavor. The Cassia is what we have come to think of as cinnamon, and the taste I wanted for this moussaka.

Layer the meat/tomato sauce over the zucchini and potatoes, and another layer of vegetables, and what is left of the sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Pour about 1/4 cup of milk (no less than 2%, or cream if you can handle the fat) over all the layers. And finish by grating some very nice Parmesan on top.

After baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes. You’ll have the golden brown dish pictured here.