Home gardeners like to complain about their gardens being overrun with zucchini when the fruit starts to kick into high gear in midsummer. But for people who love the prolific, vining summer squash, that's a blessing and not a curse.
There are just so many ways to incorporate zucchini into a warm-weather menu beyond the no-fail quick breads, vegetarian pasta dishes and Pittsburgh-born fried appetizer we all know and love and try to replicate at home.
Depending on what you serve it with, zucchini can be a really smart dish for the health-conscious. It's one of the best sources of carotenoids (an antioxidant that can enhance your immune system and help prevent disease). Zucchini also has zero fat and is rich in water and fiber, two compounds which can aid healthy digestion. And one cup of raw, chopped green or yellow zucchini has just 33 calories.
