Feta Stuffed Zucchini

An old favorite recipe from original (1997 edition) Moosewood Cookbook: Stuffed Zucchini, Turkish Style. Delicious zucchini canoes are stuffed with a tasty mixture of onions, egg, feta, and zucchini. I love the original recipe, but it was so rich! (Note: this recipe is not listed in the Index of the new version of this book.) I've dropped two of the three eggs and quite a bit of the cheese. I much preferred my lighter version. The cool thing about this recipe is that the part of the vegetable removed for the stuffing is part of the stuffing. We ate these with our fingers! Yum!

Feta Stuffed Zucchini (adapted from The Moosewood Cookbook):

3 medium zucchini (about 7" long), halved lengthwise
1 tbsp butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg, beaten
1-1/2 tbsp flour
paprika to top

Preheat the oven to 350. Scoop out the insides of the zucchini halves, leaving about 1/2" rim. I cut the shape with a sharp knife, crosshatch the part I'm going to remove, and then use a grapefruit spoon, which has a serrated tip, to do the scooping and tidying up. Chop the scooped insides and set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the shallot until softened. Add the garlic and chopped zucchini and cook gently for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the feta, beaten egg, and flour.

Place the zucchini canoes in an ovenproof dish, lightly oiled so they won't stick. Spoon the feta mixture into the canoes and top with paprika. Bake for 25 minutes, then finish off under the grill.