Zucchini pie and zeppole
The problem with this blog is that I make these things, they are DELICIOUS, and I just want to make them again. But I can’t because I need to make new things to post about. So…when do I get to eat Zucchini Pie again?
This week I cooked with Antonella Langdon! Antonella has been a constant figure in my life since 1996 when I was a Brownie in Girl Scouts. She and Nina, our other troop leader, were our mentors, teachers, and friends no matter how wild we could be. We were kicked out of at least three schools over the 12 years we spend together, but Antonella and Nina stood by us. Needless to say, they are saints.
After a lifetime of her guidance and support as I trial-and-errored my way through the world, I knew I had to rope Antonella into my newest scheme - this blog.
Which leads us to…Zucchini Pie!!! This could-be-breakfast-lunch-or-dinner dish is cheesy, packed with veggies, and seasoned to perfection. And it’s not a fussy recipe - you can play around with the ingredients/process so that it works for you. If you stick to the general shape of the recipe (specifically when it comes to the spices), you’re still going to have an amazing pie.
Originally from a magazine, this recipe made its way through Antonella’s family (and a series of “I know what would make this better…” revisions) before getting to its current form. In the beginning, it used twice the butter and was set on a crust of pillsbury crescent dough rolled out over a lasagna tray.
Actually up until this blog post required it, Antonella didn’t even have this recipe written down. She had to do a trial run before cooking with me to figure out her measurements!!
When cooking for non-dairy friends, or really any friends with dietary restrictions, Antonella suggests simply omitting the ingredient you don’t want. Cutting cals? Cut the crust. Can’t stand onions? Leave it out. When she makes this dairy free, Antonella just ups the spices by a quarter to make up for the missing cheese.
One thing that stood out to me when cooking with Antonella was her old school cookware… which she’s had since she was a TEENAGER. She got her measuring spoons and cups at Tupperware parties and put them in her Hope Chest. This BLOWS MY MIND. I got new measuring spoons a few months ago and I am not even sure I still know where each size is.
I’m curious to know, how many of you reading this had a Hope Chest, and what was in it?
`Slice them veggies.
Soften them up with some oil and butter.
Add the spices and stir the zucchini around until tender. You don’t need them to soften all of the way because they’ll still cooking in the oven.
Toss it all in your pie crust.
Mix together the milk, eggs, and cheese, and pour the mixture into the pie crust. With your fork, fluff up the veggies to let the mixture seep throughout.
Put the pie on a baking sheet, and bake at 350*F for about 50 minutes to an hour (use the eye-test until its golden). Once it’s out, let it set for a while.
To quote my friend Sarah, “I can eat half a pie, easily.”
**BONUS RECIPE**
THE ZEPPOLe!!
Presto Flour was tricky to find. I ordered it online. Theoretically any self-rising flour should work? I think you can make your own with flour and baking powder. If you try it out at home let me know how it goes!!!
Mix the ingredients (except the confectioners sugar and raisins) in a medium bowl with a hand mixer until the batter peaks. You may need to keep adding flour to get the right consistency - mostly liquidy but a little stiff. Sorry, can’t help you any more than that.
Unlike the basic Zeppole you get from the pizzeria, Antonella’s include raisins. Folded them into the batter before frying. AWESOME upgrade.
Pro Tip: When deep frying, use canola or vegetable oil. NOT olive oil, which burns more easily.
Using two soup spoons, plop the batter in. This skill takes some practice.
Poke those little bad-boys around until they’re nice and golden brown. We wanted to make sure they were cooked all the way through, so we let them get a little dark.
When they’ve reached a nice warm brown, scoop them out with a serrated spoon and let them cool on a brown paper bag/paper towels.
Finally, sprinkle with (as much) confectioners sugar (as humanly possible). Perfection!
“The Zucchini Pie is essentially a quiche so I recommend something French. Maybe a little Champagne. And for dessert, something a little bitter to match the Zeppole’s sweetness, like Chinotto.”
