WHAT Crisp?!?

Because of so many of our friends requested the recipe for a certain dessert, I decided to post it for you.

Back before Handsome and I were married (we were dating), I lived with my good friend Brie. One day she came home with a delicious smelling crisp that I was about to be all over....that is, until she told me it was zucchini crisp. Then I was a little skeptical. Crisp is for berries and peaches after all- NOT for vegetables.

But alas, I was wrong. And I tell you that if you like apple crisp, you will surely like zucchini crisp. It's tasty stuff.

I'm not sure it's the exact recipe that Brie brought home, but it's the one that I've used for years now. Here it is for your baking pleasure:

Zucchini Crisp

CRUST:
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 lb butter (3 cubes)

FILLING:
6-8 cups peeled, seeded, chopped zucchini
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt for the crust. Cut the butter in until crumbly. (Our family secret for cutting butter in: use a cheese grater to grate the firm butter into the dry mixture, then work it in...I do use my hands. It works really well!)

Press half the dough into the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan and save the other half. Bake 10 minutes at 375 and then let it cool.

In a saucepan, cook the zucchini in the lemon juice until tender (about 10 minutes); add sugar, nutmeg, and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Simmer that for 1 minute and then add 1/2 cup saved pastry mixture. Simmer until it thickens stirring constantly. Let that cool.

Pour zucchini mix over the crust. Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the remaining pastry mix and sprinkle over the top.

Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until lightly browned.

And that's your zucchini crisp! Enjoy.