Zucchini Pie & Zucchini Bars

It's hard to be this patient for zucchini pie, but it can be done

When I have lots of zucchini in the house I feel like I'm prepared for whatever may come my way! I love the fact that fresh zucchini--with their flowers, are available all year round at the Greek fruit markets. Zucchini is a great  source of potassium and B vitamins.  The  zucchini bulb is actually a swollen ovary of the blossom and it's sweet light flavor lends itself to a wide range of uses. We like to add thin slices of zucchini to frying fresh potatoes, cut them up and serve them cold with tzaziki dip, grate them and add them to vegetable pies, slice them into soups and steam them for a side dish.  As we eat our main meal in the afternoon,we'll have a light snack in the evening.  Yannis usually wants something a bit substantial; so I'll make him a very quick and easy zucchini pie--no crust and no phyllo! As for me, I'll enjoy my tea with zucchini too--the Minnesotan way...bars!

Kolokythopita

8-10 medium zucchini, peeled and shredded (let stand for 1/2 hour, drain)
2 medium onions
1 leek
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup mint
3/4 cup feta, crumbled
3 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumgs
salt and pepper
    

Saute the onions and leeks in olive oil; Mix all of the ingredients together, spread into a greased 9x12 pan and bake at 350F./180C for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares when it has cooled a bit.

Zucchini Bars

4 eggs
2 cups sugar-(i use 1 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1 1/4 cup oil
2 cups flour
1/2 tes. salt
2 teas. soda
2 teas. cinnamon
2 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cup walnuts


Beat eggs and slowly add the sugar; beat very well; add the oil and beat again.  Add the rest of the ingredients, stirring in the zucchini and nuts after the flour mixture . Spread in a 9x13 jelly roll pan and bake at 350F./180C. for 30 minutes; when cool frost with butter cream or cream cheese frosting-you can sprinkle some more walnuts on top.  If you're in a hurry, or just want to save calories, dust the bars with powdered sugar. These bars keep very well--if you can keep them out of sight!!