Do you love the delicate taste of squash? Then it's the perfect time of the year to head down to your local green grocer or farmer's market and scout out plump, fresh summer squash.
You may have trouble recognizing it at first. Turkish zucchini is pale green rather than dark, speckled green like the Italian variety.
Stuffed vegetables, or 'dolma,' are very common in Turkish cuisine and squash is the perfect ingredient. For a light meal, try my recipe for hot stuffed squash, a popular Turkish home-style dish made with ground beef the whole family will love.
Another popular summer side dish made with zuchini is called 'mucver,' or squash fritters. A thick batter is made with grated squash, fresh herbs, eggs and flour and fried in small cakes until golden-brown. Squash fritters make great snacks for kids.
Sliced zuchini is also fried and served cold topped with garlic yogurt as an appetizer, or 'meze'. Even fresh-picked squash flowers are sold to make stuffed squash flowers, a variety of 'dolma' filled with rice, pine nuts and currants.
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