One of the challenges a gardener faces, is what to do with the remaining produce at the end of the season when all the desired canning and packing away have been done. Zucchini squash often grows to be very large, too large for table slicing, so here is one of the solutions that take the zucchini to a whole new level, turning it into a tasty Italian dish you can eat right out of the shell.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 large zucchini squash, sliced lengthwise; seeds removed
4 Tbsp Emeril’s Essence (recipe)
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 pkg Italian Meatballs
1 jar Spaghetti sauce
1 pkg mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Place 4 large zucchini halves on a greased sheet or foil pan
3. Spray each zucchini boat lightly with cooking spray
4. Sprinkle each boat with 1 tablespoon of Emeril’s Essence (contains salt & pepper)
5. Cover the bottom of each boat with a thin layer of breadcrumbs
6. Fill the bottom with meat balls
7. Pour spaghetti sauce over the meat balls
8. Sprinkle to cover with cheese
9. Place on center rack and cook for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Larry came up with this recipe one evening while we were visiting my sister’s family in the Midwest. A neighbor had given them 5 gallon buckets of huge zucchini squash, and there was a lot of discussion about what to do with all of them. Larry went to my sister’s pantry, found most ingredients needed to make this recipe, so he pulled out some of the largest zucchini specimens to make this meal. A quick run to the grocery store provided everything else needed, and soon, we had a delicious, and unusual, meal!