If they are large how about shredding them and making a chocolate zucchini cake.

I saw a recipe and don't remember where but it was lasagna and used sliced zucchini instead of lasagna noodles. I thought that sounded pretty good.

Giant zucchini tend to be tough - I only buy small ones. I would use them as a substitute for eggplant and make zucchini Parmigiano with pasta sauce and Italian cheeses (Mozzarella, Asiago, Provolone, Parmesan, etc). I also like just the fried zucchini, but that's not as good for a block party. They will definitely have to be cooked, if they are giant.

Here's the eggplant recipe - you can skip the first step of salting, since zucchini are not bitter:

Eggplant Parmigiano

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants (select ones that are long and somewhat narrow)
Kosher salt
Flour, for coating
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
1-1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp cayenne
Canola or grape seed oil, for deep frying
1 pound mozzarella
1/4 pound sharp Provolone (or Asiago)
1/4 pound Parmesan cheese, aged at least two years

Sauce:
2 cups (16 oz.) prepared tomato pasta sauce
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Slice the eggplant into 3/8" 1/2" rounds and place in a large bowl with a large amount of salt, enough to coat all cut sides. You can toss the slices in the bowl if it has a cover to get the salt more evenly distributed. Then place the slices in a colander or other large pan (such as a steaming basket) with the slices vertical, and allow to drain for at least an hour. I usually give it at least two hours for this. When sufficient water has drained from the slices, remove them from the colander and wipe off the excess salt with a brush or towel, and dry the pieces with a clean towel if they are very damp. Note: Do not leave overnight!

While the eggplant is draining, add the basil, olive oil, and garlic to the tomato sauce, if desired for extra flavor. It is not necessary to cook the sauce at this point. Prepare the mozzarella by cutting it into fairly thin slices, and grate the Provolone and Parmesan. I usually combine the mozzarella with the Provolone but not the Parmesan.

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 375° and have a platter ready with paper towels for draining. Place about a cup of flour in a bowl for dipping, and mix the bread crumbs with the cayenne in another bowl. Blend the eggs with the 2 tbsp water in a third bowl, and place the bowls in a row for coating. Prepare each slice by first lightly coating it with flour (shake off excess flour), dipping in egg, and finally in the bread crumb mixture. Deep fry each slice in the oil until lightly golden on both sides and then drain on paper towels.

When all the slices have been fried, get an 8"x13" (or equivalent) glass or ceramic baking dish and brush olive oil on the bottom and sides to prevent sticking. Spread a very thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, and then place a layer of eggplant over that. Put a small amount of tomato sauce over each slice and then a slice of mozzarella over each piece, and sprinkle a bit of Provolone and Parmesan over that layer. Repeat this process until the baking dish is full, but do not overfill. If necessary, prepare a second baking dish, depending on the size of baking dishes you have. I use an 8" square ceramic baking and a 5" square dish, but you can use pyrex bread pans as well. The final layer will be tomato sauce with no cheese. I prefer to have all the cheese between the layers of eggplant, but you can put some on top as well, as desired.

Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes.

Lars

How hard to you want to work...?
I would make what is known in our family as "zucchini glop".
Wash whatever zucchini you have....peel it if the skin is tough and seed it if the seeds are large.
Slice what remains into 1/8th inch slices...
Slice some yellow onion...one or 2...
Slice peppers...red green or a combination
Slice some tomatoes.
there is the stove top method and the oven method....
either put some EVOO in the bottom of a very large fry pan or a casserole...add veggies in order...zucch, onions, peppers and tomatoes.
Put some sliced garlic on the zucchini layer....and lightly salt and pepper each layer....and sprinkle a little oregano and basil on some of the layers...
Bake uncovered at 350 for about 1 1/2 hours...topping with some grated cheese, or cook on top of the stove for about an hour...
All will turn to mush, but flavorfull mush....and you can manage to get 4 people to eat all of one huge zucchini!

How about freeze-able zucchini bread:

DELICIOUS ZUCCHINI BREAD

Serves 16

Ingredients

4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups zucchini, grated
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Blend first three ingredients thoroughly.

Sift dry ingredients together. Add to egg mixture.

Add zucchini and remaining ingredients.

Fill greased loaf pans half full. Bake at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes.

Makes two loaves.

Joe

How about this wonderful Greek dish - Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera).

It can be served hot or at room temperature. It is delicious either way.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera
=======================================================

Adapted from: Krinos Foods

(The original recipe called for a large can of tomatoes and did not include garlic or oregano.)

Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera)This is a traditional vegetable mixture that is often eaten cold, accompanied by hunks of country bread and feta cheese

.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped (or dried)
1 14 ounce can of Italian-style tomatoes, chopped.
1/2 cup chicken broth
. Heat oil in heavy large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add
onion and sauté 5 minutes.Add Garlic and green beans and sauté until
onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, potatoes, cayenne
pepper, parsley and oregano. Pour tomatoes and their juices over
vegetables. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and
simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring frequently, about 45
minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Can be prepared
1 day ahead -- cover and refrigerate. Serve warm or at room
temperature. 6 To 8 Servings

Or seed the zucchini and make gratin. I might peel them too, if they are very large and tough:

Gratin of Zucchini and Tomatoes
(Eating Well)

3 cloves garlic, crushed
2/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip), divided
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
3 large ripe tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 medium zucchini (about 1 3/4 pounds total), sliced on the bias about 1/4 inch thick
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or similar gratin dish) with cooking spray.
2. Place garlic, basil and thyme on your chopping board; mince well. Spread half the breadcrumbs evenly in the prepared baking dish. Strew onion over the breadcrumbs. Distribute half the diced tomato over the onion, then sprinkle with half the garlic-herb mixture. Sprinkle with vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a third of the zucchini; you want it to sauté, not stew, so don't crowd it. Sauté, turning the pieces once, until golden and not quite tender, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. When the slices are done, use a fork to transfer them to the gratin, overlapping the slices. Cook the remaining zucchini in two batches, each time using 2 teaspoons oil. Strew the remaining tomatoes and garlic-herb mixture over the zucchini. Season with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and a grinding of pepper. Toss the remaining 1 cup breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle over the gratin.
4. Bake the gratin until bubbly hot, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with Parmesan.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 302 calories; 15 g total fat (3 g sat, 9 g mono); 7 mg cholesterol; 35 g carbohydrate; 11 g protein; 7 g fiber; 532 mg sodium; 885 mg potassium.

Annie

I would load them with firecrackers and light them.

Ka-Boom! Nice!!!!

Sorry, this might be a little late but I just posted on lpinkmountain's banana bread thread...

How about zucchini and banana? This is my niece's recipe and it's very good. I don't use banana extract...don't miss it at all. I just read about roasting bananas in the skin to make them sweeter, and will give it a try the next time I make this. I might also try some whole wheat flour and reduce the amount of oil a bit.

ZU-NANA BREAD

Combine and set aside:
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Beat well in large bowl:
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 Tbs vanilla
1 tsp banana extract (optional)

Stir into wet ingredients:
2 cups bananas mashed
2 cups zucchini unpeeled and grated/shredded

Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stir until just moistened. Pour into well greased bundt pan or 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

My first thought was the same as trixietx!!
Even people who think they hate zucchini usually like Chocolate Zucchini Cake!
No heat worries for the potluck.

Deanna

OK, so what DID you do with the giant zucchini?

I kind of liked Shaun's idea.....

Annie

Thank you all!

Everything sounds good. I'm looking forward to trying them.

I ended up making a gratin, similar to annie1992's -- largely because I had the ingredients in the house!

I thought it was a little bland (wouldn't have been if I'd followed annie1992's recipe more closely), but the neighbors liked it and gobbled it up. There was a little bit left, and someone asked if she could take it -- the ultimate compliment.

The block party potluck was a big success. I just loved seeing our town's parade, then everyone walking back home and chatting with each other, and then that potluck. I am so grateful for the characteristically American neighborliness that characterizes our community and our country, even when times are hard. That's what really made it feel like July 4th to me.