It’s time to talk about zucchini. I thought I would skip it this year, but after a recent experience, I see there is a need.

A few weeks ago, a neighbor knocked on my door late one evening. He was holding two small and one enormous zucchini. Being a polite sort, I thanked him and said I knew just what to do with them. Big mistake! Since then, I keep finding zucchini on my front porch.

Social media posts are showing a lot of extremely big zucchinis in local gardens, too. It seems to happen almost overnight. One day, there’s a sweet zucchini flower. Then there’s a heat wave, and suddenly your garden looks like it’s full of pods from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”

A farmer friend looked at the 7-pounder I received and said instantly, “That’s compost!”

I make noodles out of the big zucchinis, using a mandoline. I do not use the entire zucchini but rotate it so the noodles include skin.

Because there is such an abundance of zucchini right now and because I have an abundance of recipes for zucchini, next week’s Seasonal Pantry will feature zucchini noodles, zucchini cake and my favorite way to prepare this vegetable, Algerian zucchini.

I first enjoyed this delightfully simple dish at a restaurant, Andalou, in San Rafael in the early 1980s. For best results, use small zucchinis or the Costata Romanesco variety. The dish is included in my book, “The Good Cook’s Book of Salt & Pepper” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015).

3 to 4 small zucchinis, trimmed and cut in ¼-inch rounds

Black pepper in a mill

Put the butter in a medium saute pan set over medium-high heat and, when it is melted, add the zucchini. Saute, turning frequently, until the zucchini is just tender but not at all mushy. Season with salt and several very generous turns of black pepper.

Remove from the heat and enjoy right away.

This soup is rich and voluptuous yet refreshing, a quality of the zucchini itself. It makes a creamy soup without cream or flour, ingredients that would eclipse its pristine summery flavor.

1 small yellow or white onion, diced

6 - 8 medium zucchinis, trimmed and sliced

6 cups homemade chicken broth or stock

1 cup fresh basil leaves, stems removed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

½ lemon, cut into thin half-rounds

Put the olive oil in a medium soup pot set over medium heat, add the onion and saute until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Do not let the onion brown.

Set aside about a third of the garlic and add the rest to the onions. Saute 2 minutes, season with salt and add the sliced zucchini. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and add the chicken broth or stock.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook until the zucchini is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the basil leaves into the container of a blender. Add the garlic you set aside, season with salt and add the lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse until the mixture is smooth, adding more olive oil as needed to create a sauce-like consistency. Taste and correct the seasoning.

To finish the soup, puree it with an immersion blender or pass it through a food mill.

Taste and correct the soup’s seasoning. To serve, ladle into soup plates. Add a generous spoonful of the basil sauce to each serving. Top with a slice of lemon.

Enjoy right away or refrigerate for at least 3 hours and enjoy chilled.

When I wrote “More Than Meatballs” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014), I included a chapter entitled “Going Meatless,” which includes several recipes for vegetable fritters and croquettes. This one is ideal in summer, when there is an abundance of zucchinis. If you have a choice of varieties, select the Costata Romanesco variety, which has the most robust flavor.

1 pound of zucchinis, preferably Romanesco, grated on the large blade of a box grater

Peanut oil, palm oil or mild olive oil, for deep-frying

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 teaspoons cumin, toasted and crushed

Black pepper in a mill

Mint sprigs and basil sprigs

Whole milk yogurt, crème fraîche or chutney

Put the grated zucchini into a strainer or colander, sprinkle with salt, toss and let sit for 30 minutes. Use your hands to press or squeeze out the liquid so it’s fairly dry.

Pour about 3 inches of oil into a heavy saucepan or deep-fryer set over a medium burner or flame. Heat to 350 degrees.

While the oil heats, put the squeezed zucchini into a bowl and fluff it with a fork. Add the garlic and parsley and toss.

Put the cumin, flour and baking powder into a small bowl. Season with salt and several generous turns of black pepper and add to the zucchini mixture. Toss thoroughly, add the egg and toss again quickly, being certain not to overmix.

Use a 1-ounce ice cream scoop to shape the fritters and drop them, one by one, into the hot oil. Allow the oil to return to 350 degrees before adding another fritter. Fry for 1 minute, turn and fry for 1 minute more.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer each fritter to absorbent paper to drain.

Spread the mint and basil over a platter, set the fritters on top and serve hot, with yogurt, crème fraîche or chutney alongside for dipping.

One of the great things about this dish is that it’s actually best made a few hours before serving it. On a hot day, you can make it in the morning and enjoy it after the sun goes down. Sometimes, I add a minced serrano to the vegetables, which gives a nice kick.

Zucchini & Corn Gratin with Polenta

Simple polenta (see Note below)

4 tablespoons butter, plus more for the baking dish

4 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from the cob

4 to 6 medium zucchinis, cut into small dice

Black pepper in a mill

6 ounces grated cheese, such as St. George, Carmody or Mezzo Seco

Prepare the polenta and keep it warm, preferably in a double boiler. Stir it occasionally while you prepare the vegetables.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan set over medium heat. Add the corn and zucchini and saute about 3 minutes, until the zucchini is just barely beginning to soften. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Allow to cool almost to room temperature.

Lightly butter a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish, pour in half the polenta and spread the vegetables on top in an even layer. Scatter about ⅔ of the cheese over the vegetables and pour the remaining polenta over them, using a rubber spatula to spread the polenta evenly. Scatter the remaining cheese on top.

You can make the gratin up to this point several hours before serving. Just cover tightly and refrigerate until 30 minutes before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the gratin until it is hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven, let rest 5 minutes and enjoy hot or at room temperature.

Note: To make simple polenta, bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add 2 teaspoons kosher salt and stir in 1 cup coarse-ground polenta. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 or 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir now and then, until the grains are soft and tender. Cooking time will vary based on the age and moisture content of the polenta. When it is just tender, stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 ounces (½ cup) of the same cheese you used with the vegetables.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “Polenta.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.

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