Steven's mom, Irene, came by to make one of her favourites from when Steven was young - stuffed zucchini!

STUFFED ZUCCHINI
(serves 4 - 6)

1 - 12" to 14" long fat zucchini (or several small zucchini)
1 - pound ground beef
1/4 cup butter
1 - medium onion - chopped fine
3/4 cup celery - chopped fine
1 garlic clove - chopped fine (or 1/8 tsp. garlic powder)
1/4 Tsp. pepper
1 Tsp. salt
1/2 to 1 Tsp. curry powder - according to your taste
4 cups soft white bread cubes
1/2 cup tomato juice or tomatoes & juice from can
or
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (remove skin from fresh tomatoes by dipping tomatoes in boiling water)

Cut tips off zucchini ends
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise, scoop out seedy pulp (save the parts with no seeds to put in stuffing)
Sprinkle zucchini with salt - set aside

In large non-stick pot, melt the butter add onions, saute 1 minute add celery, chopped zucchini pulp, pepper & garlic clove if used and saute till vegetables are tender crisp about 3 minutes
Add ground beef breaking up lumps, when broken up and starting to turn grey, use a potato masher to break up even more & combine veggies and meat
Remove from heat add seasonings, bread cubes & tomato and gently combine

Wipe insides of zucchini with paper towel as there will be water from the salt
Put a little oil in your baking dish
Fill zucchini with stuffing - pat it down a little. Spread some butter on exposed edges of zucchini
Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese all over and then sprinkle everything with paprika

Cover with foil wrap & bake at 350 for 1-1/2 to 2 hours depending on thickness of zucchini
After 1 hour lift foil on edges of pan so tops can brown a little

When using a smaller zucchini the seeds are quite small - chop up everything you have scoped from the inside. When adding this to the stuffing it makes it moister.

If you should have leftover stuffing - butter a pan and bake in that for about 20 minutes.