Julia Child zucchini sauteed in butter celebrates chef's 100th birthday
Mary Bilyeu, Contributor
Because tomorrow would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday, I'm paying tribute this week with an assortment of her recipes. (Go visit my blog, Food Floozie, for more celebrating of this fabulous occasion.)
Julia taught us all far more than merely how to prepare French dishes. She taught us that cooking could be fun. She taught us that good food didn't have to be expensive or intimidating. And, in not having gone to cooking school until she was in her mid-30s — and only then transforming herself into a culinary icon — Julia Child also taught us that we can be whomever we choose to be when we grow up, even if it takes us awhile to figure it out.
So when my good friend Miriam (whom you met when I featured her Tomato-Olive Brisket several months ago) very generously gave me some zucchini recently, I knew I would prepare it according to a Julia Child recipe. I looked online for options when trying to determine how to cook it, because I wanted to branch out a bit from the classic cookbook that started it all in 1961, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julia continued to cook, bake, write, and influence for decades, after all.
And so, there's a bit of butter — Julia's love of its richness and purity are legendary. There's simplicity, letting good ingredients shine. And it's quick and easy to prepare, as well as being delicious and summery. This recipe is a perfect way to honor Julia Child!
As Julia herself said, "You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients."
Courgettes Sautées au Beurre ([koor-ZHET soh-TAY oh BURR] = Zucchini Sautéed in Butter)
6 cups grated zucchini (from 4 medium zucchini)
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large scallions, minced
freshly ground black pepper
Place the zucchini and the salt in a colander; drain for 5 minutes, then squeeze dry.
In a large skillet, melt the butter and oil together. Add the scallions and saute for 1 minute. Add the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with pepper and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Mary Bilyeu writes for AnnArbor.com on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, telling about her adventures in the kitchen - making dinner, celebrating holidays, entering cooking contests, meeting new friends ... whatever strikes her fancy. She is also on a mission to find great deals for her Frugal Floozie Friday posts, seeking fabulous food at restaurants on the limited budget of only $5 per person. Feel free to email her with questions, comments, or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com. Go visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — where she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related; and look for her monthly articles in the Washtenaw Jewish News. "Like" her on Facebook, or send a tweet on Twitter, too. The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers - when you come to visit here, may you always be happy.
Comments
PattyinYpsi
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 2:24 p.m.
Hey, Mary-- Thanks so much for replying to my inquiry about the recipe you posted!
Mary Bilyeu
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 2:44 p.m.
Patty, I apologize profusely - I never saw any notice that you'd asked a question. (Comments come to my email.) Much of the salt should have been squeezed out along with the liquid, so it shouldn't have been so excessively salty. It wouldn't hurt at all to rinse the zucchini, though, just to be sure; and you could certainly lessen the salt, perhaps tweaking the seasonings after cooking if need be ....
PattyinYpsi
Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 5 p.m.
Mary, is there a step missing from this recipe--or is there a typo? I made this dish following your instructions and the result was so salty that it was inedible and ended up in the garbage. Before you ask, yes, I used 1 1/2 TEAspoons, not tablespoons, of salt. Are you supposed to rinse the zukes after they've been drained, perhaps?