Recipes

Kusa

(presented at King Market 9/13/09)

serves 6

• 6 small to medium green zucchini, cored and hollowed out, stem left intact (or use 12-15 baby zucchini)  
• 1 1/2 tsp salt  
• 1 cup short grain rice, rinsed and drained  
• 1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground lamb or a mixture of both)  
• 2 Tbsp canola or olive oil  3 cloves garlic, minced  
• 1 Tbsp ground allspice  
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper   

for the sauce:  

• 3 green onion, thinly sliced
• 3 fresh tomatoes, finely diced (or 15oz can san marzano style tomatoes, chopped)
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 Tbsp olive oil  
• 1 tsp sea salt   

Season the cored zucchini with salt and put in a bowl, add water to cover and set aside. Place the rice, beef, oil, salt, allspice, pepper and garlic in a bowl and thoroughly combine.

Drain the zucchini of any excess water and place in a colander. Fill each zucchini about 3/4 full with the stuffing...remember, the rice will expand when it's cooked.

Place the filled zucchini in a large pot, carefully arranging them in layers.  Add water to cover by 2 inches, place a lid on the pot and cook on high for about 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to simmer and let cook an additional 20-30 minutes.

The zucchini will be tender, and of course the rice and beef will be cooked. While the zucchini simmer you can make the sauce by simply sautéing the onion and tomatoes in the oil, simmer for 5 minutes and season with salt and oregano. Remove the zucchini from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them on a serving dish with the sauce.  
Note: You can also use seasoned white yoghurt for the sauce.

Paul Folkestad

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