Dishing Up the Dirt

stuffed zucchini with creamy peanut lime sauce

April 12, 2013

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The enemy…..

If you are thinking how cute those birds look perched up in that tree think again. Those bastards ate half of our newly planted kale yesterday. That’s about 300 plants. To say we are upset is an understatement. We ran to every farm store in town looking for row cover and netting only to discover that every store was out of what we were looking for.  At 3 this morning Taylor woke me up to describe his genius way of keeping the birds away from our kale. The only problem is that it requires a trip to Walmart (yes, you read that correctly, Walmart) We are waiting for it to open and then we are heading up to the farm to set up our barrier. It’s been a long night to say the least.

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I am starting to understand why my old farm manager could be so cranky sometimes. He never slept!!! I sure as heck hope that dark circles under eyes are becoming a hot new look, if not we are in trouble!

The good news is that we were able to squeeze in a nice dinner last night. Stuffed zucchini with a peanut-lime sauce. These were awesome and totally hit the spot. Things have been crazy around here but we have made it a priority to eat a proper meal every night.

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I’m sure we are not the only ones running around like chickens with our heads cut off. If you find yourself out of sorts like us I suggest cracking open a beer, playing your favorite Pandora station and digging into these awesome stuffed zucchini.  The peanut-lime sauce we drizzled over these guys was to die for. Enjoy everyone!

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Stuffed Zucchini With Peanut-Lime Sauce. (serves 4)

1 TBS olive oil

4 large zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise and scooped out leaving 1/4 inch shell

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 cups mixed mushrooms, chopped

1 cup broccoli florets, chopped

1 cup cooked quinoa

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

For the sauce:

1/4 of a cup peanut butter

1/4 of a cup of fresh lime juice

1 clove of minced garlic

1/4 of a teaspoon of crushed red pepper

1 tbs honey

2 tbs tamari

1 tsp minced ginger

1/4 cup of water

With and immersion blender or whisk, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce.  Taste test. Add more water if it’s too thick.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large pan heat olive oil. Add onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms and broccoli. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Mix in quinoa and drizzle a little sauce over the mixture (saving a good portion to drizzle on top when zucchini is done cooking). Scoop mixture evenly among the 4 zucchini. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes (or until heated through) Serve hot with a drizzle more of the sauce. Enjoy!

 



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28 thoughts on “stuffed zucchini with creamy peanut lime sauce

  1. Julia says:

    Oh my gosh! Not that you condone animal cruelty, but I have a boyfriend who can take care of your bird problem for you… Seriously, Andrea, I’m so sorry to hear that – birds eating my crop is probably one of the last things I would have worried about so I can imagine the shock and frustration. Glad Taylor has a solution and good luck! Your zucchini boats look incredible!

    1. admin says:

      Julia, your boyfriend is hired!!! We were joking about how we could just sit back in lawn chairs all day with a shotgun. It’s a bummer but we are surviving. Thanks for the comment!

  2. Oh noooo, so sorry about the birds! I remember you referring to your seedlings as your children, so that sounds like the worst thing possible. Good luck with your Walmart trip, and thanks for the delish-looking zucchini recipe!

    1. admin says:

      Thanks Erica!

  3. Poor, beloved kale! 🙁 Hopefully your unfortunate trip to Wal Mart solved the problem. I love that you are always finding new ways to stuff things! I am always craving peanut sauce and these look ah-mazing!

    1. admin says:

      thanks for the comment lady!

  4. oh no! Birds are cute, but I nkow they can be evil. I have trouble enough keeping them away from ONE plant, I can’t imagine keeping them away from a whole field. On the positive side, that sauce sounds amazing! After a stressful week like I’ve had, I think that’s just what I need in my life 🙂

    1. admin says:

      my days of thinking birds are cute are totally over!!! 🙂

  5. Sue says:

    Great that Taylor came up with a solution. I was wondering what it is…but if you’d rather not, it’s ok. Loved your stuffed squash recipe – and the peanut lime dressing sounds wonderful!

  6. Joanne says:

    Aww girl I’m so sorry about all this stress! Hopefully after your trip to walmart you’ll have it covered! And in the meantime, this dish looks awesome. I love all things peanut lime-infused!

    1. admin says:

      Thanks lady 🙂

  7. carrian says:

    looooove this! Stuffed anything really, but this especially

  8. Sorry to read that news about your kale, hopefully the barrier will work. These stuffed zucchinis look amazing., Another brilliant veggie meal idea of yours!

    1. admin says:

      Thanks Anna!

  9. Sorry about the birds 🙁

    Have you ever heard of using reflective tape to ward them off? They think the reflection is water, so they won’t land on it. I’ve seen them do it in fruit orchards and even in lettuce fields in Salinas.

    I love talking farm management with you 😉

    1. admin says:

      I love all of your tips!!! Thanks lady!

  10. Ugh…what a bummer!! Hopefully Taylor’s idea is successful.. These stuffed zucchinis look delicious!! Definitely saving this recipe for when my CSA starts up and I’m overloaded with zucchini!

  11. I always knew birds were bad news.

    In other news, I want this zucchini right now now now!

  12. Ella says:

    Oh, sorry for the birds…

    I absolutely love zucchini, so I might try this sometime. Thanks!

  13. I love pizza stuffed zucchini but haven’t thought of other (healthier) stuffing ideas – this sounds fantastic, peanut sauce is always a win! Hope your new barrier idea works!

    1. admin says:

      I too am obsessed with anything that involves peanut sauce!

  14. Oddly enough, kale is about the only thing that gets left alone in our garden! I totally love the Asian spin on stuffed zucchini. I’m saving this recipe for summer & zucchini season!

  15. Laurie says:

    The zucchini look beautiful!!!! I’m excited to try them but was wondering if you include the scooped out zucchini in the recipe. I don’t see it 🙂 I enjoy reading your farming adventures and love your recipes! Thanks!

    1. Andrea says:

      Thanks Laurie,

      I fed the scooped out squash to Henry but it would be perfect mixed in with the other veggies! Let me know if you try it!

  16. Sarah says:

    Is the ginger fresh or dried?

    1. Andrea says:

      Fresh!

  17. I don’t like zucchini very much but I LOVED this recipe. Found it on ohmyveggies.com. Will be making it again for sure! Thank you.

  18. Marry says:

    Good recipe, thanks. I would cook the zucchini longer next time, maybe cover with foil after 25 min so as not to dry out the stuffing and cook about 15 min more. I like the zucchini on the soft side.

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