I’ll bet you once
had a childhood. And during that
time you probably did some snacking.
And I’d wager you likely have a few foods that you haven’t eaten in
a good fifteen or twenty years, but if you saw them today, for a moment, you
might forget all the nasty bits of growing up.
Maybe it’s those
twin popsicles—the kind with the double sticks that came in a big translucent
bag clearly boasting the flavors it held.
Or maybe your pick is a bit more unusual, like boxed pistachio pudding, in
which case, you were probably a strange little child, and we would likely get
along very nicely.
My sister was a
pigs-in-a-blanket fiend. In her
presence, party trays would leave the kitchen half demolished. While I, on the
other hand, stalked the chips and dip bowl.
I would settle on a nearby couch and not leave until the French onion dip
was taken down. Unless a little something my mother
called “zucchini appetizers” was prepared.
These were admittedly
an odd snack caught somewhere between a crustless quiche and a bouncy bread
pudding, of a savory sort. I loved
to eat them cold and to this day, they still taste a little like summer. If summer
could be mixed with Bisquick®, and cubed.
You can probably
see where this is going.
I was thumbing
through my mother’s recipe book awhile back and came across these square zucchini
snacks of hers. Though
ten-year-old Emily was thrilled, the Bisquick presented a challenge. These days
I’m a little morally squeamish towards premade pancake mix, so I had to indulge
my very adult snobbery and find a proper substitute.
Luckily, the
Internet is brimming with do-it-yourself Bisquick people. And after a few trials, I had pretty
much replicated the appetizers. More or less. I
decreased the garlic, because it gives thirty-year-old Emily dyspepsia. And added basil because I believe basil
can be added to pretty much anything.
And just did what I was told on the instructions:
Mix all ingredients. Spread in a greased
casserole. Bake until slightly golden on top. Cut into bite-sized squares. Serve hot or cold.
I only ever
remember ever eating them cold.
And bite-sized by the handful.
Mom's Zucchini
Appetizers
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose
flour
1½ tsp baking
powder
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
½ cup olive oil
1 whole scallion,
minced
1 small garlic
clove, finely minced
½ cup grated
pecorino cheese
3½ cups grated
zucchini (about 3 small zucchini)
1/3 cup roughly
chopped fresh basil leaves
pinch of red
pepper flakes
a few turns of
fresh black pepper
Instructions:
Set the oven at
350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift
together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs
and then add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine; mix the wet
ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
Butter a
casserole dish (I used a 10 x 7).
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and bake until the eggs have fully
set and the top is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes (my oven takes a little longer, so
I’d start checking around the 30 minute mark).
Makes about 12
bite-sized squares, or 6 as part of a meal
Notes:
-The 1 cup of
Bisquick® originally called for in this recipe roughly translates to
1 cup of flour plus 1½ tsp of baking powder, ¼ cup of oil, and ½ tsp salt.
-I used small zucchini
the length of a pencil. It is said they have more flavor than the big guys.
-This also makes
a very wonderful savory breakfast (particularly if you were a slightly odd
child).
-Aside: I happened to
look at the ingredients in the French onion dip: there’s MSG in there. Things make even more sense now.
