The Best Way to Prep Zucchini

Spiral cutter turns your bumper crop into pasta.

I’m at the point in the season where my garden is producing more zucchini than I can handle (mental note for future summers: one plant is enough)—and I can only stomach so many zucchini muffins. But I’ve found a new solution: this new Microplane spiral cutter turns summer squash into pasta-like ribbons. Designed like an old-school pencil sharpener, the ultra-sharp blades make quick work of my zucchini (the smaller side is just right for carrots), and the hand-held design means it’s also tiny: perfect to toss in a drawer when I’m done. And my recipe is simple: stir-fry a little garlic, toss in some shitake mushrooms to brown, and once they’re ready, throw in the zucchini ribbons and toss with a little olive oil and parmesan. The perfect harvest dinner. (Prep tip: sprinkle a little salt over the zucchini ribbons 15 minutes before you need them. Squeeze out the excess water, and you’ll have sturdier ribbons to work with for your faux-pasta dish.)Microplane Spiral Cutter, $14.95, available at Ming Wo in Vancouver, Peppers in Saskatoon, Kilian in Calgary, ca.microplane.com.