Zucchini, or green squash, is a versatile vegetable that can be fried, or stewed in many different ways. This vegetable has always been one of my favourites, and I am proud to give you two summer crowd-pleasing recipes that have satisfied my Bulgarian and non-Bulgarian friends. Zucchini Stew is a family recipe, as it is something only my mother and I know how to make. We learned this recipe from my grandmother. She and I used to eat so much of it while we cooked that we never ate dinner. The unique part of this recipe is that it can be prepared vegetarian, or infested with meat for meat lovers.

There are two things to be aware of in this recipe. The first thing is to hide a beer for the stew. Your beer loving friends will not understand why a beer must be used - they will simply want to drink the beer.

The second tip is to add some oil, maybe 50-75ml, when making this for Bulgarians. This will make them feel better. I made Zucchini Stew for my landlady and her family, and she was very upset that I did not use any oil. If your Bulgarian friends do not notice, then forego this step, because tomatoes and cucumbers have a high percentage of water, which makes oil unnecessary.

The other recipe, Zucchini Bread, is something people like or hate. When I gave this to my colleagues, I told them to try the "apple cake." After trying the cake, they loved it, and were bewildered when I told them I had used zucchini.

So, basically the secret to getting Bulgarians and others to try Zucchini Bread is to lie. By lying, this has been the most popular dessert I have made for Bulgarians.

Enjoy these recipes while zucchini is in season. Remember that white lies don't hurt anyone as long as they are not allergic to the food. Just think of it as helping your friends discover new culinary horizons.

Zucchini Stew (serves eight)

1kg zucchini, peeled
1kg tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled
7 green or red peppers
3 onions
1 large bottle beer
1/2-1 head garlic, peeled and pressed
Oregano, basil, black pepper, red pepper, thyme
Optional: 1kg ground beef or 1kg chicken (in bite-sized pieces)

Directions: Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Put vegetables and garlic into large pot on stovetop. Turn burner to highest heat setting. Add spices according to taste. Cook vegetables for about 20-30 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes, until there is a good amount of broth from the vegetables. Then, add the beer to the stew. Stir, and then let the stew come to a boil. Boil for about five minutes, and then turn stove to the lowest setting. Cover stew and simmer for about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft. For meat lovers, cook ground beef or chicken in a separate pan with a little oil. When meat is fully cooked, add the meat along with all the meat's juices into the stew before adding beer.

Zucchini Bread (from Peace Corps Cookbook)

125ml oil
100ml yoghurt
675g flour
450g sugar
450g zucchini, peeled and grated
1/2 large Milka chocolate bar, grated
3 eggs
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 packets vanilla

Directions: Preheat oven to 200°C. Mix all ingredients well. Place mixture into greased pan and bake for 60 minutes or until done. Use toothpick to confirm bread is done.

Joseph Herr is a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer currently working in Balchik. His column appears weekly and he can be contacted at jdherr75@sabreshockey.com.