Zucchinis have taken over my garden. I swear they multiply overnight, laughing as their long tendrils snake around the tomatoes and crowd out the basil. Like shiny, heat-loving reptiles, their bodies are easily camouflaged under leaves. They sometimes go unnoticed until they've grown to the size of a skateboard or a plump toddler.
These months of sun and warmth have created a zucchini's paradise. Backyard gardeners across Alaska are bribing their neighbors to take them home, stuffing them into baked goods and Googling how the heck to make ratatouille.
I decided to make zucchini hash browns after being sent home with a monster vegetable (see zucchini trick No. 1, above), and being struck with a breakfast-for-dinner craving. My brother is the ultimate crispy hash-brown maker, so I asked him for some tips.
His secret? Patience, more patience and butter. Homemade hash browns aren't difficult to make, but take multiple steps before cooking, which can be intimidating. If you have a food processor, use it! Otherwise, put those arm muscles to work with a cheese grater to shred your zucchini. Once shredded, be sure to rinse and dry completely. When frying, resist the urge to constantly flip. But that's it. Pretty simple. And while zucchini will never replace potato hash browns, no matter how much butter they are fried in, these green giants are delicious raw, baked, battered or grilled.
Tomorrow is National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day. Please celebrate.
Zucchini hash browns
Makes 2 servings
2 cups shredded zucchini
½ cup sliced red or yellow onions
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Fresh dill
1-2 tablespoons butter and/or olive oil, for frying
1. Rinse shredded zucchini under cold water in a colander. Squeeze all the water out of zucchini using a cheesecloth or dishcloth.
2. Preheat your pan on medium-high heat. A cast-iron skillet will brown the hash browns more quickly, but a nonstick pan will work, too.
3. Melt a pat of butter and add a drizzle of olive oil in the pan. Add onions and zucchini, and try to distribute in a thin layer. The more room they have, the better they will brown. Add salt and pepper.
4. Let the hash browns fry, then flip and fry the other side, adding more oil or butter if needed. I used a nonstick pan, and it took 6 minutes of frying undisturbed on one side, then another 6 minutes frying on the other side, for the zucchini to get crispy.
5. Top with a poached egg and garnish with fresh dill.