Zucchini & Cheese Drop Biscuits

The kitchen is in full summer mode. The oven at 375 (always 375), the crockpot on the counter, the pantry stocked with jars from last August's canning — the evidence of a woman who preserves summer against winter and loss against forgetting and food against everything.

Thursday was tater tot hotdish, because Thursday is always tater tot hotdish and the schedule doesn't change for anything — not pandemics, not loss, not the passage of years. The tater tots go in at 375 and come out golden and the family eats them and the eating is the Thursday and the Thursday is the structure and the structure holds. But I also made grilled chicken with garden vegetables earlier this week, because the kitchen doesn't only look backward. The kitchen grows.

The garden at peak production — tomatoes by the bushel, corn taller than Jack (which is saying something now, the boy is tall), peppers in every color, the zucchini in its annual attempt to conquer the neighborhood. I've left three on the neighbors' porch. They know. Everyone knows. The zucchini phase is endured, not discussed.

The zucchini doesn’t care about your schedule or your feelings — it just grows, relentlessly and without apology, until you either make peace with it or surrender entirely. After leaving the third round of zucchini on the neighbors’ porch this week, I decided to stop moving the problem down the street and start baking instead. These Zucchini & Cheese Drop Biscuits are what happens when the garden wins and you finally let it — savory, quick, and just humble enough to feel like the right answer to a summer that’s asking a lot of everyone.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 18 minutes | Total Time: 28 minutes | Servings: 12 biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 medium), excess moisture squeezed out
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chives or green onion, chopped (optional)
3/4 cup whole milk or buttermilk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 large egg

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
Prep the zucchini. Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Place in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly to remove as much moisture as possible. Set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Add the mix-ins. Stir the shredded zucchini and cheddar cheese (and chives, if using) into the flour mixture until evenly distributed.
Combine the wet ingredients. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, melted butter, and egg.
Mix the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until combined — do not overmix. The batter will be thick and slightly sticky.
Drop and bake. Drop the batter by heaping 2-tablespoon portions onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 16–18 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and serve. Let biscuits rest on the pan for 5 minutes before serving. Best enjoyed warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Zucchini & Cheese Drop Biscuits — When the Garden Wins Again