Whew, welcome back after my two week absence! I had to have some surgery done on my jaw, and let me tell you it wasn’t pleasant. But, thanks to our parents and lots of Carnation Instant Breakfast, I am back on track and ready to bring you another hilarious, and somewhat mushy, recipe.
AuthorRetroRuth
From Sunset Kitchen Cabinet Recipes, Volume II, 1934
Tested Recipe!
[cooked-sharing]
Hollow out the zucchini. You can cut off the end and use an apple corer, or just split lengthwise and hollowed out with a spoon and fasten the stuffed zucchini with toothpicks. Stuff each zucchini with a weenie or a sausage. Place in a saucepan. Pour over stuffed zucchini a can of tomato soup (undiluted) and season to taste. Simmer until tender (about 20 minutes, depending on how big your zucchini are) adding water if the tomato soup begins to stick.
To serve, put zucchini on a platter and pour the soup over them like gravy. Serve with rice or noodles. (We liked them with rice pilaf.)
Ingredients
Directions
Hollow out the zucchini. You can cut off the end and use an apple corer, or just split lengthwise and hollowed out with a spoon and fasten the stuffed zucchini with toothpicks. Stuff each zucchini with a weenie or a sausage. Place in a saucepan. Pour over stuffed zucchini a can of tomato soup (undiluted) and season to taste. Simmer until tender (about 20 minutes, depending on how big your zucchini are) adding water if the tomato soup begins to stick.
To serve, put zucchini on a platter and pour the soup over them like gravy. Serve with rice or noodles. (We liked them with rice pilaf.)
Notes
This recipe is from the Sunset Kitchen Cabinet Recipes Volume II, which covers the recipes published in Sunset Magazine from 1934 to 1938. These are unique books, not just because of the interesting recipes, but because many of the recipes are illustrated by the cutest illustrations of 1930’s housewives preparing the recipes.
And I would like to say that I picked this recipe for some academic reason, or even because we are up to our knees in zucchini over here. But no. I picked this recipe simply because I loved saying the name. “Zucchini Weenie. Zucchini Weenie.”
I love it.
That picture actually turned out kind of creepy.
Anyway, if you can’t tell already, I needed help cooking this recipe because I am still taking some pretty heavy duty meds, and can’t be trusted with things like heat and knives and weenies, so Tom and Alex stepped in to prep dinner for me.
They were pretty fun helpers. Alex insisted she could still see through it with the hot dog inside.
At the third Zucchini Weenie, Tom ran out of patience and threw down his knife. “That’s enough. There is no possible way we are going to eat more than three of these things anyway.”
Since we were only making three, I decided the pan I used was too large.
So I moved them to a smaller pan. Then, after I read the recipe more closely, I realized that I didn’t need a pan for the oven at all. They were supposed to be cooked on the stove!
Which is why I couldn’t be trusted to make anything. Ahh…medication.
Here they are after being simmered for about 25 minutes. That’s probably more than they needed, but I wanted them to be on the mushy side since I can’t really chew right now. I had to add some water about halfway through to keep the tomato soup from sticking to the pan. We served them over rice pilaf, which seemed like the right thing to do in my vintage-cooking heart. But I’m sure you could take your cue from this recipe and serve them over noodles.
“How does it taste?”
“Good. Like a weenie inside a zucchini.”
The Verdict: Surprisingly Delicious
From The Tasting Notes –
I don’t think anyone had any doubts that these would turn out edible. But we were surprised to find out they actually were quite good. We ate all of our portions, and then we were sad that we didn’t have more. The zucchini turned out a bit smokey and spicy (we used Nathan’s bun-length hot dogs, so about half a step up from Oscar Mayer) and the tomato soup actually cooked enough that it lost the canned taste and was actually very good over the rice pilaf. If you aren’t a hot dog person, you could easily sub an Italian or Polish sausage or a hot link for the weenie and I am sure it would be delicious. There was actually quite a bit of garlic, bell pepper and onion in the rice, so if you are going to make these you might want to add these either to what you serve these on or to the sauce of the weenies themselves. Overall, a hit!
Sorry to hear about your surgery, but I’m glad you are doing well! I just had to comment because these are very similar to a dish my Palestinian in-laws make except they stuff the zucchini with spiced beef and rice, then cook it in a rich tomato sauce for a long while. They even have a special zucchini core tool that you can buy at many Arab grocery stores because they leave the zucchini whole.
I can imagine doing a vegetarian version of this using non-meat sausages. Interesting. Maybe I’ll give it a try. I love zucchini anyway and one of the best recipes for it is Zuccanoes (stuffed zucchini) from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook: http://www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipe=zuccanoes)
Welcome back!
Ouch! I feel your pain on the jaw surgery–here’s hoping your remaining recovery goes swiftly and with a minimum of pain! Hot dogs really are a saving grace in those situations. They’re mush-a-riffic!
Man, this DOES look pretty good the more I stare at it. Especilly if you get the good stuff sausage-wise. And since you’re eating an entire squash, it’s also… good… for… you?
I would totally eat that! I love stuffed zucchini and this seems like a variation on that. Glad it was a hit, and glad you are feeling better!
So neat to see you feature a recipe from Sunset! My mom was secretary to the Editor at Sunset Magazine in the fifties and she said it was a fantastic place to work, as well as having really beautiful grounds. They had picnics and lots of group activities for their employees. The culinary editor was a pal of hers and she and others would frequently be called to the test kitchens to taste new recipes.
well this might make the mounds of zucchini that gets grown every year by my aunt edible
just one thing might tom be able to post a note letting us know youre indisposed ?as this site is one of the few reasons I get on the internet anymore it disappoints….. but glad you’re feeling better
I can sympathize; I had gum graft surgery a few weeks ago (with complications and an ER visit, yay) and I am SO SICK of oatmeal and yogurt and applesauce.
Glad you’re feeling well enough to post.
When I saw the name, I had a half sinking feeling it was a zucchini made to look (or) taste like a hot dog… glad to see it wasn’t the case. Looks like a Smoky Link would also be a goood match. I think I’d sprinkle some toasted bread crumbs over the top, though… it comes off looking a tad ….bloody.
I was so worried about you! I’m really glad you’re okay. Jaw surgery is no joke. (Any surgery is no joke.) As a sufferer from TMJD, I sympathize and hope your healing is fast, total, and as pain-free as possible.
Also, I really, really missed you and your recipes, and Tom, and Alex, and the baby! I don’t think I’ve ever commented before, but I read your blog religiously.
Sorry to hear about your ordeal. You were missed.
I feel your pain – literally. Just had a dental extraction and am in bed with a mouth full of gauze. Reading about Zucchini Weenies has made me all the more appreciative of the days of mashed potatoes, cottage cheese and yogurt ahead. Surprised they turned out to be a tasty time!
Oh wow, I just picked up this same cookbook at a thrift store this week! I recognized the recipe from the title alone. Will have to try now.
Glad you’re back, you were missed. Hope you feel better soon!
I just love when a recipe is liked by your family. The best part of your blog is seeing your husband’s reaction to a recipe at the end of each post! What an honest food tester he is! LOL! Thanks for all the weird, yet cool recipes.
My Jordanian neighbor used to cook that for me. It’s out of this world!