Every year I plant a summer garden in my backyard.  I use a 4 X 8 raised planter bed and fence out the animals (bunnies & squirrels) with chicken wire.

I spend a good amount of time planting each plant carefully.  Making sure each has a symbiotic plant to fight off disease and pests.  When everything is planted, I watch those babies like a hawk.  I go out everyday and make sure they have enough water, sun, and aren’t being invaded by insects.  In a nutshell, I love gardening.

Unfortunately, this year, I have not been able to plant one.  We tore up our back yard last December.  Now, very slowly it is being put back together.  Slow, like dripping molasses.

I miss the tomatoes right off the vine.  I miss the wafting smell of the basil as I approach the planter bed.  Most of all, I miss being able to harvest the vegetables of my labor.

I really shouldn’t complain though, I have an ever better substitute for my garden.  My neighbors L & L have the best home garden I have ever seen.  No exaggeration.  Rows of high tomato plants, zucchini, cucumber, apples, avocado, grapefruit, oranges, lemons and peaches.

L is very good at what he does.  He had special soil, called sandy loam, trucked in just for his garden.  Whether it be the soil or his green thumb, the quality and the quantity he produces far exceed what my little 4 X 8 bed could.

That being said, I have been able to survive the summer with the fruits of his labor.  Once a week I receive a surprise delivery on my door step.  Sometimes that even includes eggs.  We are very spoiled by them.

Recently Mrs. L had surgery that limited her mobility.  Mr. L was going to have to take care of the Mrs. and her live in mother on a daily basis.  Upon hearing this, I immediately offered to make them dinners.  It was least I could do for all they have done for us.  Not only have they been generous with their crops, but also a myriad of other things.  We are blessed to live next door to them.

It just so happened that the day before I was to begin working on their meals, L dropped off one of his infamous bags of produce.  It had all the usual suspects, including a few gorgeous zucchinis.

There are so many ways to prepare zucchini, but one of my absolute favorites is a zucchini lasagna.  A zucchini lasagna replaces the pasta sheets with zucchini.  Lowering the carb count and increasing the nutrients.

In my recipe, I make two sauces, a marinara and bechamel.  Marinara is a fancy name for tomato sauce.  Bechamel is a fancy name for cheese sauce.  I make my bechamel lower in fat and carbs by using chicken broth instead of milk, Melt, instead of butter.  The two sauces intertwine in each bite, creating a tomato cream sauce.

The sauces are layered between the zucchini ‘noodles’.  It is up to the chef whether to add ground turkey, pork, or sausage.  The sauces are bold enough to stand with the zucchini alone, for a vegetarian version.

This lasagna can be baked and served immediately or it can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then frozen for up to 3 months.  Either way, it’s worth the work.  You won’t be disappointed I promise.

It’s a dish that feels indulgent, yet is much healthier than eating a traditional lasagna.  According to L & L it was a great use of their zucchini, and helped Mrs. L get on the road to recovery.

Recipe

3 – 4 large zucchini, sliced on a mandoline ( <— click for the same one I use)

sea salt

16 oz. mozzarella low moisture, part skim or any cheese blend (I used a pizza blend)

1 lb. ground turkey, pork or turkey sausage, cooked and any fat drained

Marinara

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 28 oz can organic diced tomatoes

1/2 brown onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small carrot, diced

2 teaspoons dried basil

sea salt and pepper to taste

Place zucchini slices on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.  Let sit for an hour.  Blot dry, turn over and repeat step on other side. This will pull excess moisture out of the zucchini, so your lasagna won’t be soupy.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot.  Add the carrots and basil, saute for 2 – 3 minutes.  Add in the onions and saute till translucent.  Add in the garlic and saute for 1 minute, constantly stirring so it doesn’t burn.  Stir in the tomatoes, and de-glaze the pan (scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan).  Simmer for 20 minutes on low, stirring every 3 minutes or so to avoid burning the sauce.  Using a stick blender, blend the sauce partially.  I like mine to still have some chunks.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.  (Whatever you have left after making the lasagne can be frozen).

Bechamel (not traditional)

4 tablespoons Melt butter (smart balance or ghee)

4 tablespoons whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups low sodium organic chicken broth

1/2 cup shaved Parmesan

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Melt the ‘butter’ over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly for 3 – 5 minutes or until the mixture smells like popcorn.  Constantly whisking, slowly stir in the chicken broth.  Continue to whisk till the mixture is fully incorporated.  Lower the heat to low.  Stir in cheese and pepper.  Take off heat.

To Assemble Lasagna

1.  Ladle a thin layer of marinara on the bottom of a 9X13 pan.

2.  Layer zucchini noodles on top of the marinara, overlapping slightly.

3.  Ladle 1/2 of the bechamel on top of the zucchini.

4.  If you have a meat layer, add it on top of the bechamel.

5.  Layer 1/3 of the cheese on top of the meat.

6.  Ladle the remaining 1/2 of the marinara on top of the cheese.

7.  Repeat steps 2 – 6 one more time.

8.  The last layer should be the remaining cheese.

9.  Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.

10.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

*Servings: 8• Size: 1/8 of the lasagna • Calories: 205 • Fat: 13g • Carb: 13g• Fiber: 3g • Protein: 12g • Sugar:  6g • Sodium: 677mg • Cholesterol: 20mg

*(nutrition facts are shown without meat)