You can turn those zucchini into a savory loaf or even into apple pie.

There are lots of ways to skin a
zuke

Why do we have such a love-hate relationship with the humble zucchini? We put them into our gardens because they are so undemanding and then resent it when they prosper. By the end of summer, you can hear the lament from every neighbor’s backyard: “What am I going to do with all these blessed zukes?” I guess that’s why zucchini was the perfect topic for the first “WQED Cooks ” marathon back in 1993. We asked people to send in their favorite ways to prepare summer’s most abundant vegetable, and the recipes poured into the station.

We put them together into a little cookbook that everyone wanted. My contribution was a sort of squash quiche with grated cheese and Bisquick. Another favorite was mock crab cakes, using grated zucchini instead of crabmeat to make tasty little patties seasoned with Old Bay. People proved their ingenuity with pickled, broiled, boiled, stuffed, baked and fried zucchini. They shredded, diced, sliced and mashed them into hundreds of recipes. One of my favorites was a mock apple pie that was submitted by the wife of one of the WQED engineers. It was a dead ringer in taste, texture and aroma.

The problem with the cooking marathons is that some of the best recipes only get to us after the cookbook is complete. About a month after the last recipe was typed into the book, my then-friend and now wife, Laura, treated me to a traditional zucchini loaf bread. It is perfection in its simplicity and makes a splendid breakfast, brunch or lunch bread smeared with cream cheese or just on its own. The flavor of the squash really comes through, and you have that satisfying feeling of eating something good. The added bonus to this recipe is that you can prepare all the grated zucchini ahead of time and keep it frozen in pre-measured packages in the freezer for use throughout the year. Don’t get mad at your zucchini—get even!

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TOP 10 ESSENTIALS FOR COOKING
Here's my top-10 list of kitchen essentials for a well-equipped kitchen:

1. An 8-inch chef knife and 3-inch paring knife. Make sure they are high-carbon stainless, forged knives. Avoid the "82-knife set."

2. Cutting board. I favor nylon or bamboo. In either case, make sure it is lightweight and at least 12-by-20-inches.

3. Measuring cups and spoons. You'll need a 2-cup and a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, a set of measuring cups for dry ingredients and a set of measuring spoons. Stainless steel is the most durable.

4. A 12-inch nonstick skillet with cover. Tri-ply such as All-Clad is the best for even heating. This pan does everything from omelets to sautés.

5. An 8-quart stock pot. This is essential for boiling pasta, steaming vegetables or making large batches of chili, soups and stews.

6. Colander. Get stainless steel with firmly riveted handles.

7. A 3-quart covered saucepan. This rounds out your pots-and-pans inventory for small boiling projects and heating canned soups.

8. A four-sided cheese grater. Freshly grated cheese is a big flavor boost for your cooking. This tool is also useful for grating vegetables and shredding lemon zest.

9. Sheet pan. This inexpensive pan has raised sides and can be used to bake cookies, breads and pizza, or to roast vegetables and meats.

10. A 6-quart slow cooker. This is a working couple's best friend. Ten minutes of prep in the morning yields a dinner entree and loads of leftovers. The models with the thickest insert provide the slowest, most-even cooking. Be sure it's at least a 5-quart capacity.

- Chris Fennimore