ZUCCHINI STUFFED WITH RICE & MEAT
By Ruth Milstein, author of the Gourmand award-winning recipe book, “Cooking with Love: Ventures Into the New Israeli Cuisine.”

 BIG BLEND RADIO PARTY: Focusing on food and wine, travel and music, this summer radio party discussion features Ruth Milstein, Marisa China of PortoVino, and singer-songwriter Nicki Kris. Listen to the show podcast on  SoundCloud.com, or YouTube.com.

When fresh zucchini is in season, (June through late August) this exceptional dish is a wonderful treat. Our neighbors brought us a bunch from their garden and wow; this dish was born!  Buy yourself some freshly harvested zucchini and enjoy this superb recipe. Makes 4-6 servings

4 zucchinis,  8-10” washed

For stuffing:

1 cup of rice, washed

Half a pound of meat or chicken, ground 

1 tablespoon tomato paste or 2 tablespoons tomato juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut each zucchini in half horizontally and empty its contents with a spoon. Set this aside in a separate bowl.

In a medium bowl put all the stuffing ingredients and mix them lightly.

Stuff each zucchini with one tablespoon of filling and set aside.

In a deep-frying pan pour in a cup of water. Add one tablespoon of olive oil, salt and black pepper and bring it all to a boil.

Gently place the stuffed zucchini into the frying pan and boiling water. Let them cook covered over a medium heat for 20 minutes.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Enjoy a savory bottle of your favorite white or red wine; this dish blends terrifically with either!