You can never have too much of a good thing. More than just a great side dish, zucchini can be used in main courses, quick breads, salads, soups and even desserts.

Keep the following cooking suggestions in mind when preparing zucchini:

• Zucchini contains a lot of water, so it doesn’t need to cook a long time
• You can steam, bake, sauté or fry zucchini
• To grill zucchini, cut it in half lengthwise into 1/2" slices. Brush with bottled Italian dressing or olive oil and seasonings. Grill about two minutes on a hot fire, and then turn and grill a minute or two more.
• To prepare zucchini for stuffing, cut an unpeeled zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh and seeds with a melon baller or spoon, leaving a 1/2" shell

• Stuffed zucchini: Zucchini makes a great “boat” for stuffings. You can use meat and cooked rice, or make a vegetarian main dish by sautéing the scooped-out zucchini flesh with onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers and seasoning. Top with cheese, if desired.
• Bread: Add grated, drained zucchini to muffins or quick breads
• Curried zucchini soup: Cook zucchini in chicken broth with onions, garlic and onions until soft. Season to taste with curry powder. Add milk or half-and-half, if desired. Puree and serve.
• Pasta sauce: Sauté chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add chopped fresh tomatoes and grated, drained zucchini; cook until vegetables are heated through. Add chopped fresh basil. Serve over hot pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
• Cake: Surprisingly, zucchini makes a great “secret” ingredient for cakes, adding moisture and delicate flavor. Do a search on your computer for “zucchini cake,” and you’ll come up with thousands of variations of this classic zucchini dessert.

It’s great that there are so many delicious ways to prepare zucchini — a vegetable that is always plentiful in the produce department.