The Best Zucchini Recipes, According to Eater Staff
Sasha Marx, Cook's Illustrated
I'm a big fan of both wet- and dry-brining for meats, so I was intrigued by the idea of brining vegetables for additional flavor like they do in this Cook's Illustrated recipe. And I'm always looking for new things to throw on the grill during the summer. I tried out this recipe for a poolside gathering, and the delicious zucchini managed to upstage the steak we were grilling. The brining technique really does add an additional dimension, making the seasoning pervade the zucchini better, and the salsa verde adds a bright kick to the equation. — Missy Frederick, cities director
Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen
I've loved Smitten Kitchen's ultimate zucchini bread recipe since before I had kids, but it's become even more of a go-to recently. With two toddlers, I'm in the sneak-veggies-into-everything phase of my life, and this is truly the ideal vehicle. Deb's zucchini bread is as easy as it gets: It doesn't require a mixer or any zucchini wringing, and comes together in essentially one bowl. It's light and fluffy, and is definitely an appropriate breakfast food, even with its crispy sugar topping. Plus, it means I can offer my kids 'cake' and know that they're getting a little serving of greens along the way. — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief
Hetty McKinnon, Tenderheart
Hetty McKinnon's noodles come together lightning quick, with a simple sauce of sliced zucchini, za'atar, mint and cheese — or nutritional yeast if you want to make it vegan. It's the perfect recipe for when you're too hungry to start a big project and just want to make something boxed and instant, but realize you haven't had a vegetable in three days and really need to remedy that. — Jaya Saxena, correspondent
Sarah Jampel, NYT Cooking
This salad has become a reliable way to clear out the almost-overripe zucchini in my crisper every summer and is a total crowd pleaser for dinner parties (while secretly being very easy to pull together). You can even cook and marinate your browned zucchini a few hours before serving, letting them soak up more flavor in the fridge. To liven up the salad, shave some beautiful, fresh pieces of zucchini and Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler and don't limit yourself on the fresh herbs; almost everything will work here. To upgrade the salad further, roast your chickpeas with lots of herbes de Provence, paprika, and olive oil in an oven or air fryer for about 15 minutes to create crispy, flavorful chickpeas that add a layer of crunch that is reminiscent of croutons. — Emily Venezky, editorial associate
Dorothy Kern, Crazy for CrustAlthough some people prefer zucchini breads and cakes where you 'can't even taste the zucchini!,' I actually love the subtle, vegetal bite an entire large zucchini brings to this coffee cake. Other perks of this recipe: the inviting scent of cinnamon wafting through your kitchen as the cake bakes, the plush crumb, and the general ease of pulling this all together in less than an hour. My only note about this recipe is that the crumb on the cake is less of a crumb and more of a brown sugar and butter syrup that seeps into the cake and creates delightful brown sugar swirls throughout. If you want a more traditional crumb, you'll definitely need to incorporate additional flour into the crumb mixture portion and use cold, rather than melted, butter. — Kat Thompson, associate editor, Eater at Home See More: Eater at Home
Recipes
What to Cook
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eater
05-08-2025
- Eater
The Best Cloth Napkins: 8 Really Nice Sets I Love, From Linen to Retro
is the commerce writer at Eater, and an award-winning writer with bylines in GQ, VICE, The Daily Beast, and other publications. A curious home cook with a deep love of Polish cabbage rolls, her devotion to food service journalism knows no bounds. I have been a cloth napkin enthusiast for years. This is hardly surprising, as I'm also a devout hanky-lover; whether I'm going to the beach, the ball park, or the club, there is always a soft cotton handkerchief in my purse for colds, spills, or makeup smudges. Similarly, my assortment of cloth napkins — some of which are holiday-themed, most of which are just cute — have been an essential part of my everyday dining routine. This vintage checkered set lives in my coffee table drawer at home for TV dinners, and I'll also throw one of the napkins in my BAGGU carry-on during a flight, because nothing is worse than eating food in turbulence with a flimsy paper napkin, and it helps tremendously to have a tiny tablecloth on the go. The author's vintage Mary Engelbreit napkins are also for sale on Ebay). Photo by the author You may be thinking, 'This sounds like some Downton Abbey' buffoonery,' to which I would ask, would you rather wipe your hands on a reusable, soft, planet-friendly terracotta-colored linen napkin at dinner, or rub them on paper towels that feel like sandpaper? If the thought of cloth napkins, to you, only recalls the stuffy, white-tablecloth-restaurant-bound napkins of yore, wake up and celebrate the wide world of linens — they're not only an attractive element of your everyday table setup, but also highly practical and environmentally friendly. Might I add that they make a great host or housewarming gift? Below, I've selected a handful of my favorite everyday cloth napkin sets that are ready to change your life. A fringed linen napkin = classy meets casual There are a few ways to make sure a white/monochromatic napkin doesn't feel like it belongs in a dated red sauce restaurant, and they come down to material and design. In this instance, an ivory-colored napkin set feels chic in a nonchalant way thanks to its rustic linen material and fringed edges. You can find another iteration of this napkin staple at Williams Sonoma, too, but I'm partial to the generous size (22 inches wide and tall) of this Pottery Barn pick. A subtle yeehaw flex Denver-based artist Julie Peach hand-carves her block prints, and these linen-cotton blend napkins feature one of her graphics that manages to make a nod to the Wild West without feeling gimmicky. You have a soft spot for the 1970s Anthropologie's storied home goods aisles are overflowing with cloth napkins, including tarot-themed cocktail napkins and a cross-hatch set for wrapping around your bagels. But this very Brady set seriously brightens up a table, and offers exactly the kind of napkin that I want floating around my purse: something thick, cheery, and easy to spot in my giant tote bag. Stripes will never go out of style Like checkerboard print and houndstooth, stripes will never truly go in or out of style — but I sure have noticed their rise to the top of the trend food chain lately in matters of home decor. Design-forward folks are painting striped statement walls, buying striped shower curtains, or bringing home a set of delightful striped napkins, such as this robust set of 12 with a rust-colored stripe. Meet your interesting indie designer napkins from the Netherlands That's exactly what you'll say to your friends as they stare at these linen-cotton blend napkins from the Amsterdam brand Autumn Sonata, which has been making waves in the design world for its contemporary twists on antique prints. Again, the beauty's in the details of this set, and I think my favorite part is the pop of red embroidery in the corner. These super-affordable linen napkins will become softer with every wash Ah, Quince. The purveyor of direct-to-consumer goods — think, everything from quilts to caviar — is now home to sets of chic, super affordable linen napkins that come in eight colorway options. I love all the earthy shades, but the charcoal set will be especially gifted at hiding wine or soy sauce stains. This geometric napkin is a statement-maker — and it's 50% off In addition to making any dinner table into modern art, this graphic napkin is what I like to call a prime pop-up picnic candidate, because it's almost 20 inches wide and tall, making it ideal to toss over your lap on a plane, park bench, or to serve as wrapping for some croissants on-the-go. Block-printed floral napkins (that don't feel frilly) I'm a big fan of Marigold Living's block-printed linens, and already own a tablecloth covered in this hypnotic poppy design. As the site explains, it was 'inspired by Mughal textile fragments from the late 17th century on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.' Stay tuned: Next up, we'll shop for napkin rings, aka napkin jewelry.
Eater
01-08-2025
- Eater
Everything the Eater Staff Bought This Month (Including Tomato Chocolate)
Welcome back to our monthly round table of what the Eater team bought, loved, and can't stop texting about in the group chat during July. After convening with my coworkers, I think it's fair to say we've been busy figuring out which candles are the best for dinner parties, taste-testing seasonal summer flavors of our favorite desserts (tomato chocolate? check… Salt & Straw's tomato gelato, we're coming for you), and finding the best graphic T-shirts for the friend/saint who always asks for 'more bread for the table, please?' at Olive Garden. Last month, we loaded up on buckets of Maldon salt and the Platonic ideal of dirty martini olives and brought home a pre-seasoned tadka spoon. During July, I noticed that some of my best food-related purchases were for other people — (is it just me, or are there a whole bunch of birthdays in the summer?) — and while I'm a big fan of birthdays in general, I think the trifecta of Gemini, Cancer, and Leo season feels the most festive. What better way to celebrate a friend than over an ice cold margarita on a balmy bar patio with fireflies, or (literally) touching grass together at a park picnic? My coolest presents last month — chic bug-repellent shawls and a kit for assembling Portillo's legendary hot dogs at home — beget outdoor living, laughing, and loving. That's just the tip of the Dubai chocolate sundae, so let's unpack more of the best stuff the Eater staff bought in July, from strawberry-themed phone chains to pint-sized portable blenders. A dinner party candle with the right amount of stage presence I've been struggling with candles recently. Sure,I like my Earl Grey lavender one, and I gave the Trader Joe's grapefruit one an earnest try, but I've found that most candles in my collection compete awkwardly with the smells of cooking (most of my apartment is just one big room). I find it sensorily confusing to smell matcha while eating a bowl of pasta, for example. I'd gotten whiffs of Big Night's signature dinner party-inspired candle at its events, where it does what a candle should do: lend a pleasant waft every so often but not overwhelm, especially in the presence of food. Finally, I decided to go for it and get the Dinner Party candle. With notes of herbs, saffron, and a little wood, its green yet warm scent hangs in the air in a way that complements whatever I'm cooking or eating, but without the lemon Pledge vibe of some candles. —Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter at Eater Tomato chocolate… yes, tomato chocolate While I love chocolate and I love tomato season, I always thought that those affinities would have virtually zero crossover in a Venn diagram. Wrong! Compartés, one of my favorite innovative modern chocolate companies, just dropped its summer collection, and among the offerings is this bright red tomato-flavored chocolate bar. Before trying it, I thought it would be like one of those zany 'Salted Zucchini Bourbon Vanilla Brie'-type ice cream flavors that's interesting but ultimately not terribly appetizing, but I was wrong; it's great! It somehow manages to accurately capture the umami flavor of a ripe summer tomato and infuse it into a delicate, creamy white chocolate base. Sometimes I forget that tomatoes are a fruit and that they're versatile enough to venture outside of the savory spectrum. — Hilary Pollack, senior commerce editor This lightweight, ginormous stockpot Will I unabashedly praise Eater's cookware collaboration with Heritage Steel? Well, yes, because in the 20 years that Eater has existed, our food-obsessed team has spent a lot of time figuring out what works (and what doesn't) with stainless steel cookware. Every piece from the Eater x Heritage Steel line is made in the US out of 5-ply stainless steel that's durable but lightweight, which is the perfect combination for this 8-quart lidded stock pot; when I'm making a double batch of pasta in the summer, it's so helpful to not be heaving around a heavy, cast-iron pot. — Francky Knapp, commerce writer This coconut syrup is now my favorite way to sweeten anything I'm not sorry that I love sweets — truly, you can pry them from my cold, dead hands. But I do try to be conscious of what makes the cut for my daily sugary-stuff allotment; it must be delicious and worth any potential future dental work. I didn't know coconut syrup was a thing until recently, but I'm obsessed: It's rich and molasses-like, but with a more mild flavor than maple syrup (yes, it is a little bit coconutty), and it's now my go-to for topping yogurt, ice cream (shoutout to my Creami for helping me survive hot summer temps), pancakes, or even adding to coffee or tea. — HP This retro-inspired Scandinavian coffee maker To be honest, I have very low expectations when it comes to coffee makers. I grew up in a family that worshipped their espresso machine and milk frother, with my parents consuming at least three lattes each day and teaching me how to be a full barista by eight years old. Growing up with all that pomp and circumstance surrounding caffeine consumption, as an adult, I now just want a coffee maker that's simple to use, doesn't take up too much space, and looks cute in my kitchen. This Bodum coffee maker exceeds all those expectations; just press the power button twice on the simple LED screen to immediately brew a pot of coffee or program the machine to brew you a cup up to 24 hours later. Inside, a cute little showerhead evenly distributes water over an easy-to-clean metal filter, which brews delicious java and is way more sustainable than buying paper filters. Finally, the Mondrian-esque color blocking subtly decorates my kitchen and the minimalist machine takes up only a little bit of counter space. Gone are the days of spending 10 minutes finagling my retro espresso machine every morning while still only half awake. If you're also a coffee-drinker with simple tastes that just needs their caffeine fix as soon as possible every morning, this is a game changer. — Emily Venezky, editorial associate Portillo's world-famous hot dogs, straight to my mom's door You can take the woman (my mother) out of the Midwest, but you can't take away her desire for Portillo's legendary Chicago-style hot dogs. I ordered this hot dog kit from the restaurant for her birthday, and it shipped in just a few days, for free, and included everything you need to recreate the magic at home: 10 hot dogs, 10 poppy seed buns, yellow mustard (no ketchup, of course), green relish, celery salt, and a jar of sport peppers. — FK Ninja's super tiny and easy-to-use portable Blast blender I have a huge blender from That Big Blender Company Everyone Loves and I'm going to be honest with you: I kind of hate it. Ninety percent of the time that I need to use a blender, it's to make a single-serving smoothie or a modest amount of sauce, and I do not want to fumble with loading and cleaning a pitcher the size of a fish tank to make, like, one glass of Bluenana Breeze or whatever. This month, I got a Ninja Blast, and it's so tiny in the best way possible! You can literally drink your smoothie out of it without removing the cup from the motorized base because it's so light and small. It has just two buttons, comes in a million colors (I went with the metallic olive green), and is cordless and rechargeable, so you could easily take it with you on a weekend trip or to a party. This is the exact no-frills compact blender I need; zero wrangling, no huge parts. — HP Your everyday coffee doesn't have to be boring My husband loves space, and he loves orange cats. Accordingly, I was instantly intrigued when I saw this bag of beans from the Austin-based Sightseer Coffee Roasters, which features an orange cat as an astronaut on its label. I've been on the hunt for a good everyday coffee: something not too dark but not too bright either, easy to sip black, and ideally with some berry-ish notes. I tend to like Ethiopian beans and these hit all of my criteria. I've already restocked with two more bags, looking forward to starting my mornings with that goofy space cat. —BM Last Crumb's seriously decadent key lime pie cookie Last Crumb's cookies are internet-famous, for good reason: They're elaborate, unique, decadent, and, of course, doughy and delicious. I love a cookie with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior and Last Crumb really nails it with the fillings. (They made Keith Lee's eyes roll into the back of his head, if that means anything to you.) I was blessed to try the Summertime Collection this month, and lord, there are some absolute BANGERS in this (admittedly very pricey and luxurious) box of cookies. My absolute favorites are the Florida Man (basically a miniature key lime pie, complete with a fluffy meringue-like topping), the Tokyo Zest (a yuzu cheesecake cookie), and the Donkey Kong, a banana cream pie creation that is arguably Last Crumb's most famous and celebrated cookie — and, if you like banana like me, the best cookie you've ever had in your life. — HP Emma Bridgewater's floral English earthenware mugs You know that trope of ultimately, slowly, turning into some version of your mother? I welcome it wholeheartedly, especially if it means growing her collection of Emma Bridgewater's mugs. The English ceramics company is well-known for its earthenware pottery, which is often hand-painted with animals, flowers, and other cottagecore staples. I gifted this cornflower mug to my mother for her birthday, and aside from looking really cute it also feels good to hold; the candle is curved just so, and the slightly larger bottom gives it the appropriate amount of weight. — FK Everyone's thinking it (the shirt's just saying it) If you're the Table Mom of your group, this shirt is made for you. This off-white Pasta Dept. Tee takes care of the need to ask for more bread because it's not a matter of whether you'll ask for extra bread, but when. The puff ink design gives this shirt extra oomph rather than the (eventually) crackly iron-on designs of other shirts, and it arrives in the mail inside on-brand bread packaging. — Dianne de Guzman, regional editor I can't stop eating this spicy, garlicky Palestinian dip I know that Palestine is renowned for its high-quality olive oil, but I'm a newly obsessed shatta stan; this condiment from Canaan Palestine is a blend of hot chiles, garlic, olive oil, and Dead Sea salt that I put on eggs, fish, meat, and (my personal favorite) drizzled over labneh with some crusty bread. It's kind of doing the same thing for me that chile crisp did when I first discovered it (meaning: going on everything, all the time). — FK Ossa's hella sparkly strawberry phone chain I have a huge purse, and always have to put some sort of tactile accessory on my cell phone so that I can easily find it while rifling around in my cavernous, seemingly bottomless bag. This month, I decided I'd had enough of my Octobuddy (although it was, admittedly, very useful) and switched to this more luxe-feeling, crystal-emblazoned strawberry chain. In addition to being almost unreasonably sparkly (I get compliments on it from strangers literally every day), it has a really nice feel in your hand that gives it an ASMR element, too. — HP See you next month.
Eater
31-07-2025
- Eater
The 10 Best Deals of the Week (Including 50% off Trade's Cold Brew Coffee)
is the commerce writer at Eater, and an award-winning writer with bylines in GQ, VICE, The Daily Beast, and other publications. A curious home cook with a deep love of Polish cabbage rolls, her devotion to food service journalism knows no bounds. As we edge towards August, some of the best food- and cookware-related deals really start to ripen. We're almost entering Summerween, which means this is one of the last periods in which all kinds of colorful, cookout-ready pieces, from cheery Le Creuset pinch bowls to main character energy, farmstand graphic dresses, will be filling the digital sale racks; in no time at all, an influx of pumpkin decor (that we kind of hate-love) will be hitting the shelves of our local T.J. Maxx. Crank your AC unit, and let's shop. Le Creuset Factory to Table sale Attending a brick-and-mortar Le Creuset factory sale is something of a sport, and one that I will happily sit out knowing that I can find deals that are just as good during the heritage French cookware company's Factory to Table sale online. You can expect the usual smorgasbord of Le Creuset classics from this sale, including Dutch ovens, braisers, and cast-iron grills galore, but I've set my eyes on its more niche selection of colorful bowls, herb planters, and the iconic miniature cocottes. Save $40 off this flight of miniature cocottes Get 38% off these colorful stoneware bowls Upgrade your kitchen basil plant pot SSENSE's 75% off sale is filled with designer goods For newcomers to SSENSE, the site is a vast, impeccably curated marketplace for the streetwear- and emerging designer-inclined; think, freaky-beautiful Chopova Lowena necklaces that pay homage to pigs and strawberries, Maison Margiela sneakers, and this bubbly, mouth-blown ashtray that looks like it belongs to Zeus. Unsurprisingly, the site's 75% off sale is filled with huge deals on all kinds of personality-forward food- and drink-related treasures. Everyone should own (at least) one chalice RIP E.B. White. You would have loved this strawberry- and pig-embellished necklace This set of whimsical dishes (for ice cream, snacks, and keys) Save 15% on Misen's colorful steak knives Beloved for its professional-grade cookware and kitchen tools, Misen is another brand that we're always keeping (literal) internet tabs on, because it frequently offers flash sales on its wares. Today's find: a set of color-blocking steak knives, which are 15% off with the code NEW15 Get 50% off your first month of Trade Coffee's cold brew subscription It's prime cold brew season, and Trade Coffee — which specializes in curating subscription coffee boxes with indie roasters from all over the United States — is offering 50% off its cold brew subscription service for the first month. Every two weeks, you'll receive a 2-pound bag of coffee that is ideal for cold brew, and you can cancel any time. The farmstand graphics are going fast at Lisa Says Gah As Jess Mayhugh recently reported for Eater, there's finally a name for all those vine-ripe fruit and vegetable-themed fashions that have been brightening up the Union Square farmers market these days. Lisa Says Gah is home to all kinds of food-centric apparel that masters the trend, and some of its dreamiest, farmers market-worthy pieces are on sale — but hop to it fast, because these pieces usually sell out faster than ramps. A moveable (and wearable) feast Your next vacation bag awaits
