The Secret Ingredient in Mock Apple Crisp

The brown sugar crumbs bake into a chewy topping. Best served a la mode.

My husband, Steve, is our gardener. Every year I look for new recipes for zucchini. Of course, we love zucchini bread, ratatouille, and other traditional zucchini dishes, but it's always fun to try something new. So this summer, when Steve came home from work stating that a co-worker substitutes zucchini for apples in a pie, I wanted to try it. However, before I went to the trouble of making a pie, I thought I would try something easier, a crisp. I like the taste and texture of a crisp, fresh fruit with sweet, chewy, crisp topping. Great warm with vanilla ice cream. Using a pastry blender, the ingredients mix up fairly quickly. 

So, we had a nice size zucchini to use. I thoroughly rinsed it, scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Then I trimmed off the ends and cut it into slices that resembled apple slices. Although it's not necessary to remove the skin of this summer squash, I should have. The green skin was a sure giveaway that this wasn't apple crisp, and the psychology of eating is hard to get past. I really liked it. (However, Steve--not so much.) Here's the recipe so you can decide for yourself. 

Mock Apple Crisp

1 or 2 small to medium zucchini, enough to make 4 cups sliced
2/3 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup quick (1-minute) oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a square glass pan, 8x8x2-inches.

Rinse and pare zucchini. Cut into apple-size slices. Place in prepared pan. Mix brown sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter or margarine with a pastry blender to make crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until zucchini is tender and crumbs are crisp and browned. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Yield: 6-8 servings