If you’ve been reading my outdoor columns, you’ll have seen my last column, “Zucchini by Zeus,” which talked about the bounty of giant zucchini we got during the heavy rains and lightning. As anyone who has grown zucchini knows, the hardest part of growing zucchini is figuring out what to do with it all. To that end, I wanted to share one of the things that we like to do. Pizza. That’s right: Zucchini pizza. 

Unlike cauliflower pizza, zucchini pizza is a lot simpler. While cauliflower pizza is based on dough that is formed from the riced cauliflower, zucchini pizza is like pizza bagels, in that you are just crisping the base. You can grill it, fry it in a pan or bake it in the oven on a sheet tray or wire rack. We prefer the last, using avocado oil for the flavor and health factor. 

Basically you can crisp it to whatever degree you like best and season it after; then just add a spoonful of tomato sauce and cheese to melt over the top to finish. The kids like it, we like it, and most importantly, we can normally use up at least one large zucchini in the process. 

If you wanted to save this for a winter treat with fresh summer veggies, just cut the zucchinis into discs and freeze them in resealable bags until you need them. This works great, because you can portion out how many you plan to use if you are cooking for more or fewer people. 

The pizzas cook up so quickly they even make a great late-night snack. Don’t ask me how I know. I maintain that there is a troll who empties our pantry each night.

We first tried this recipe on the grill because we lost power from one of those storms that made the zucchini grow so well. I will say that the grill adds a bit of that smoky, charred flavor, which is definitely tasty, but it can get messy when it comes time to melt the cheese. The advantage of using the oven is that it keeps the cheese contained. However, you could always scoop up the grilled zucchinis and put them on a tray to finish with the sauce and cheese in the grill if you wanted to maximize flavors and cooking method. I just don’t like the extra cleaning. In either case, you simply have to find the method that works best for you.

The way out here there are a few constants in life. Zucchini being a prolific producer is one, and pizza making everything better is another. It might not be traditional, but it is easy and delicious, so tradition can take a backseat on this one. And for those who want to take it a step further, try breading the zucchini before adding sauce and cheese; now you’ve got zucchini parmesan! Perhaps a column for next year’s zucchini season.