stuffed zucchini with pesto couscous
Let me introduce you all to my new favorite summer squash. Eight Ball! We didn’t grow this specific variety of squash at Hutchins Farm, however, this round little charmer immediately caught my attention while we were cruising our seed catalogs this past winter. Stuff-ablity was the main attraction!
We have hundreds of sumer squash/zucchini plants growing at Tumbleweed Farm. (If you read my last post you already know how we spent hours on our hands and knees poking holes into the drip irrigation just so these puppies wouldn’t die on us!) It’s a small price to pay for delicious farm fresh summer squash. And my little Eight Balls are thriving more than ever now. Our backs on the other hand could use a trip to the chiropractor.
Celebratory kisses are always in order when small victories happen at the farm.
In case you haven’t noticed, we are ALL about the small victories at Tumbleweed Farm. It’s the little things that keep our spirits up. And speaking of little things…..
Check out our new hats! If you have been reading this blog for a while now, you know Taylor and I sport trucker hats almost everyday on the farm. They keep the sun out of our eyes and our heads relatively cool. It was only a matter of time before we designed our own! And hey, it’s always a good thing to have back up merchandise at the farmers markets during a heat wave. A drought never killed a good looking hat!
I hope wherever you find yourself this evening, the weather is pleasant and your local farmers market/grocery store has some lovely summer squash waiting to be stuffed. Crack open a beer, play your favorite tunes and dig in!
Stuffed Zucchini With Pesto Couscous
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins. Serves: 6
- 6 small-medium round zucchini (or traditional zucchini)
- 1/2 cup uncooked couscous
- 2 TBS olive oil, divided
- about 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, cut from 2 ears of corn
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- Salt and pepper
- For the Pesto
- 4 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- small handful of walnuts
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste test and set aside.
- Cook your couscous according to your specific brands instructions.
- Using a sharp knife cut the top 1/4 of the squash. Scoop out the center of each squash leaving about a 1/4 inch rim. (reserve the flesh) They should look like little bowls at this point.
- Drizzle each squash with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a prepared baking sheet cut side down and roast until barely soft but not totally cooked through (keep a good eye on the squash because the smaller squash will cooked faster) This should take about 10-20 minutes depending on the different size squash you have.
- In a large skillet over medium heat add a little olive oil. Add the squash flesh, corn, and tomatoes. Sauté for about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Combine the couscous, veggies and pesto in a large bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Scoop a healthy portion of the couscous mixture into each squash. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and place back in the oven (skin side down this time) Cook until cheese is melted and enjoy!
Notes
Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients and necessary.
Someone needs to write a song about stuffed eight ball squash sitting on a fence! These things are priceless! I didn’t know squash came in the form of an eight ball and I’m desperate to find these guys now! You guys should sell your hats on your blog! They’re really cool!
These are just too cute! I’ve never stuffed summer squash because zucchini just isn’t that convenient to stuff. These, on the other hand, have maximum stuffability! 🙂 Beautiful pictures!
Can’t believe you guys have like the most awesome view of Mt Hood – so jealous!! Also, these stuffed zucchinis are so cute! And it looks like they would taste amazing. I just planted som zucchinis in my backyard – hopefully they’re stuffable once the come out!
these look awesome — now I have to go try to find some cute little eight ball squash! also, the view from your farm is just amazing.
I’ve never seen these squash, but now I NEED them! Theyre super cute and I love the amount of tasty stuffing you could pack into them!
I stuff a lot of squash and the filling is awesome!
I have never seen round zucchini before. I am clearly lacking in my zucchini knowledge ;). They are too cute!
These are brilliant–not to mention adorable! I’m trying to grow 8-ball zucchini this year, but so far it’s not faring too well!
It all looks yummy. That zinnia must be the size of a sunflower. Enjoying your success from afar.
Hi Jean,
Thank you so much for continuing to read the blog and support us from a far! We really appreciate it. I hope all is well in Concord. We love it out here but will always have a special place for Hutchins in our hearts!
Hi! I’ve been reading for a few months, but am a new commenter. I lOVE your blog and, I don’t know you, but I’m so proud of you for living the dream and I’m inspired by your work ethic! I live in Austin, Texas and have an amazing Saturday farmer’s market five minutes from my house. I’ve been a loyal customer. Rain, cold, heat – I’m there! I so appreciate all my local farmers’ hard work! I have an off-topic question you may or may not be able to answer. My husband and I are traveling to Portland for the first time next week. We want to hike and visit microbreweries. Do you or any of your readers have favorite hikes and breweries in the Portland area? I realize you are crazy busy, so no worries if you don’t have time to reply. I just thought I’d try to ask a local. Thanks!