Okay, so these aren’t the kind of boats Toad in WIND IN THE WILLOWS had in mind, but they’ve been on my mind and plate lately, and I think they’re so yummy that you might want to put them on yours, too.
Although I almost never think of zucchini without remembering the Zucchini Look Alike Contest held at the Custer County Fair in Hardin, Montana. One year, the winner looked like Richard Nixon.
I am not making this up.
I didn’t make this recipe up, either, but as I’ve said before, I find it nearly impossible to make a recipe as originally written. This one started in Good Housekeeping, and as is common in magazine style, it was written in narrative form rather than as a list of ingredients followed by instructions. I hate that, though I understand it takes less space. Alas, I am not Queen of the World. (Thank Heavens. It would be tiring. But I might get to spend more time messing around with boats and other such things.)
This version includes sausage, but you could skip it and still be happy. Doesn't look like I've ever posted my Italian herb blend recipe---it's in KILLING THYME---though any blend or combination of Italian herbs you have on hand will do. These are wonderful alongside a short sturdy pasta, like rotilli, fusilli, or penne.
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
4 small zucchini4-6 ounces Italian sausage (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Italian herb mix
1-1/2 cups marinara sauce
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella
parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray a 13X9 inch baking dish.
Cut the zucchini in half and remove the seeds. Carefully scrape out the innards, chop and set aside.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage and drain if necessary, then add olive oil, onion, zucchini, salt, and herbs. Cook until the onions are soft, about 8 minutes.
Spread the marinara sauce in the baking dish, and arrange the zucchini shells on top. Fill with the sausage mixture. Top with cheese and spoon a little of the tomato sauce on top.
Serve with salad, a short sturdy pasta such as rotilli, fusilli, or penne, and a glass of whatever appeals to you.
Erin Murphy, manager of Murphy’s Mercantile (aka the Merc), is tuning up for Jewel Bay’s annual Jazz Festival. Between keeping the Merc’s shelves stocked with Montana’s tastiest local fare and hosting the festival’s kick-off concert, Erin has her hands full.
Discord erupts when jazz guitarist Gerry Martin is found dead on the rocks above the Jewel River. The one-time international sensation had fallen out of sync with festival organizers, students, and performers. Was his death an accident?or did someone even the score?
Despite the warning signs to not get involved, Erin investigates. And when the killer attacks, she orchestrates her efforts into one last crescendo, hoping to avoid a deadly finale.
Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. The past president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.
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