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SWEETBASILANDTHEBEE PHOTOBYNANCYLINDAHL The magical Gefu transforms zucchini into linguini. PASTA the great impersonator ZUCCHINI, By Nancy Lindahl Correspondent Itisthetimeofagapan- thus in the cul-de-sacs, hy- drangeas in the avenues and hot pink crape myr- tles in the great north val- ley. Zucchini are rampant and must be subdued with new and various ways of eating, if they are not to overrun the very commu- nity that plants and tends them. White hot days fold into deliciously cool eve- nings, and little green to- matoes are hiding under the shade of hairy leaves, plumping-up for their pe- riod of munificence. As everyone knows, there are three sizes of zucchini: the right size, jumbo size, (same zuc- chini, late afternoon), and dugout canoe size (the same squash a day or two later). Myriad ex- cellent recipes exist using zucchini, but today we're talking about zucchini im- personating pasta. What a versatile little squash! Ciao Bella! Let the magic begin! A little tool called the Gefu makes long spirals of right-size zucchini that perfectly mimic linguine in a process as simple as sharpening a pencil. The spirals don't seem to ex- ude water, like grated or planked zucchini and are simply perfect sautéed quickly in a little olive oil, butter and garlic with a sprinkle of fresh chopped basil and Italian parsley and a drift of finely grated Parmigianino Reggiano. This is garden-to-able at its best, direct and deli- cious. You can also serve the zucchini linguine with a fresh tomato-basil sauce, marinara, Bolognese, put- tanesca — pick your favor- ite. It's gluten-free, low calorie and oh so good for you! A more elaborate mas- querade is the Zucchini Lasagna — for late after- noon jumbos lurking be- neath the mammoth spiky zucchini leaves. This rec- ipe by Aube Giroux for Kitchen Vignettes is my new favorite thing to do with a glut of jumbo zuc- chini: slice them up in long thin planks and use them in lieu of noodles to make a delicious, pasta- free vegetarian lasagna. This works on zucchini as large as 4 inches in diam- eter without the seeds get- ting in the way. As Aube discovered, "The biggest challenge in making this recipe is keeping the lasagna from getting too soupy. With- out the pasta to absorb the extra moisture, and with the tendency of vegeta- bles (especially zucchini!) to release their juices as they bake, it's important to follow the directions for sweating the zucchini. I didn't salt my zucchini slices at all the first time around and ended up with a very liquidy lasagna, so don't skip this step. No need to de-seed the zuc- chini, just slice them up, salt, pat dry, and roast for about 10 minutes before using. This recipe is a wonder- ful way to also use up ex- tra tomatoes, though you can certainly buy a pre- made sauce. "My friend puts a little fennel seed in her lasagna sauce and it gives a wonderful depth of flavor to the dish. Upon tasting it, one dinner guest pointed out that it makes the lasagna taste like pepperoni or sau- sage. So I've adopted the fennel seed addition! And of course, an Italian secret I learned: add a few sprin- kles of sugar to your pasta sauce to cut the acidity of the tomatoes." You can add whatever you like to this lasagna: ground beef, roasted red pepper, crumbled Italian sausage, kale, spinach. This one is fairly straight-for- ward to highlight the zuc- chini, so the filling is a mix of mushrooms, Swiss chard, and onion. SkiptheNoodles: Zucchini Lasagna by Aube Giroux Ingredients Forthetomatosauce: 128oz. can of crushed to- matoes (or about 4pounds of fresh tomatoes) 1large garlic clove, minced 1Tbsp. fennel seed, crushed slightly to release the flavor 1tsp. ground oregano 1/4 cup finely chopped basil 1tsp. cane sugar 2Tbsp. olive oil For the Cheese Filling: 1pound of ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese) 1cup grated parmesan cheese 1egg Salt and Pepper to taste For the vegetables: 2to 3medium-sized zucchi- nis, no bigger than 4inches diameter (or 4to 5small zucchinis) 2tsp. salt 3Tbsp olive oil 1pound of mushrooms, sliced 1bunch of swiss chard or spinach (about 4cups, chopped) 1large onion, minced 2Tbsp. flour (can be gluten- free flour) A dozen or so fresh basil leaves (optional) 4cups shredded mozzarella (about 1pound) Directions Wash and remove the ends of the zucchinis. Slice the zucchinis lengthwise to between 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Use a mandolin if you have one, it will help you slice the zucchini faster and in perfect consistent slices. Otherwise, slicing with a knife is fine too. Sprinkle the 2tsp of salt on the zucchini as you go and allow the zuc- chini slices to sit in a colan- der or for about 30minutes. A er 30minutes, run two fingers on either side of the slices, squeezing all the way down over a bowl or the sink, releasing even more water. Place the slices on a clean towel and pat the zuc- chini very dry. Rub 1Tbsp. of olive oil onto an extra-large baking sheet (or 2smaller ones) and place the zucchini slices in a single layer. Roast in a 375F oven for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. If using fresh tomatoes, deseed the tomatoes (if you wish remove the skins). Bring the tomatoes to a boil and add the minced garlic, chopped basil, crushed fen- nel seeds, ground oregano, olive oil, sugar, and salt to taste. Simmer until thick and reduced (may take up to an hour). It's important to use a thick lasagna sauce in this recipe because the lasagna can otherwise be on the soupy side without the pasta to soak up the extra liquid as it bakes. In a large skillet or wok, heat 2Tbsp. olive oil and sauté the onions for 3to 4minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking. Once the mushrooms are so , add the chopped Swiss chard. When the chard is cooked, remove from heat and drain any juices (save these for great soup stock). Add 2Tbsp. flour to the mixture and mix well to incorporate. Oil a 9-by-13-inch lasagna dish and spread about one third of your sauce on the bottom. Add a layer of roasted zucchini to cover the tomato sauce. Add the ricottaand parmesan cheese mixture and spread evenly. Add another layer of zucchini slices. Add a second round of tomato sauce and spread evenly, followed by the vegetable mixture and halfof the shredded mozza- rellacheese. Add a last layer of zucchini slices followed by the thirdand last round of tomato sauce. Place the 12basil leaves on top of the sauce and sprinkle the rest of the shredded mozzarella on top. Placea baking tray on the rack beneath the lasagna pan to catch any bubbling juices from falling to the bottom of your oven. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350F until the cheese is melted. If you wish, turn on the broiler on high for the last 2minutes to brown the cheese slightly. Allow to sit and cool for 30minutes before slicing. As for the dugout-size zucchini? Folklore says they can be halved and stuffed with a mixture of sausage, mushrooms, zuc- chini interior, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, then baked, or you can simply hollow them out, hop-in and float down the river to Rio Vista. Buon Gusto!! And Happy Fourth! CUSTOM CUT MEATS AT NO EXTRA CHARGE WE ACCEPT FOOD STAMPS WeAccept EBT "Your Family Supermarket" Weappreciateyourbusiness-andweshowit! 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