Toward the end of summer I revisited one of my favorite recipes of all time, Frederik Bille Brahe’s Zucchini Jam, a pandemic recipe posted to social media that I enthusiastically adopted at the time, but forgot about for several years. If you’re drowning in zucchini I hope you try this. It’s probably misleading to call it a jam. It’s not spreadable—the beauty of this preserve lies in its al dente texture. The casual preservation technique —of simmering it over medium heat in a mixture of sugar, ginger, lime, and vanilla bean, for not very long at all—creates a satisfying bite. The thin slices of fresh zucchini become delicate ribbons for draping over Greek Yogurt, with a drizzle of its own lime zest-flecked syrup, to finish. It would also be incredible on vanilla ice cream, or to accompany a simple cake, perhaps. I suspect it would make a fun ingredient to layer in a more elaborate dessert like a trifle, though I’ve never tried this myself.
The syrup is also delicious on its own, spooned over ice cream, or in a cocktail. Don’t skimp on the ginger—this is a very sweet preserve and I think would be cloying without the balance the ginger and acid add.
For months I’ve been writing Home Cooking Diary in my head, but struggled to set it down in writing. running a small business while co-raising a toddler, is more of a hurdle to maintaining this project than I anticipated. I underestimated how mentally and emotionally taxing everything would be. It’s been kind of an awful summer, and I’ve been missing this project, even as I’ve felt incapable of indulging in it. Cooking has always been an escape for me—and I think it became a crutch—a coping mechanism for diverting my attention from things I’m struggling with, that simply stopped working as my anxiety over small business ownership mounted and took its toll. But a conversation with a friend yesterday gave me a bit of needed motivation to get back to it, so here I am. And hopefully I’ll be back again soon. Thank you, as ever, for being here. Zucchini Jam recipe to follow. Enjoy!
Zucchini Jam
Adapted from a Frederik Bills Brahe’s recipe:
1 large zucchini
Thinly sliced ginger
Zest and juice of 3 limes
1 vanilla bean
3 cups sugar
1. Thinly slice the zucchini into long strips directly into a pot or Dutch oven
2. Cover with sugar, vanilla bean, zest, juice and ginger
3. Mix everything up and let it sit so that the zucchini releases its water. I wait at least 30 minutes. I’m always surprised by the volume of liquid.
4. Put over med-high heat for 15 minutes or so, stirring regularly
5. Remove the solids and put the syrup back over the heat for another 10-15 minutes, until it’s reduced slightly
6. Add the zucchini back in to the syrup and let it sit and cool for at least 30 min
7. Store the zucchini in its syrup
*Enjoy over Greek Yogurt as a tangy sweet breakfast, over ice cream, or to accompany a simple cake (Zucchini shortcake perhaps??). The syrup would be lovely in a cocktail.