There is a New England myth that you should lock your car in September to keep it from being filled with zucchini. You shouldn’t assume this is just another urban legend, says cookbook author Andrea Chesman. “It happened to me on my birthday one year,” she wrote in her cookbook, “Serving Up The Harvest,” adding: “I am still plotting my revenge.”

Odds are you won’t find free zucchini left in your car, but it’s a great time of year to look for new recipes for that garden treat that grows in such abundance. I found many in “The Classic Zucchini Cookbook,” by Nancy C. Ralston, Marynor Jordan and Andrea Chesman. Their “Lemon-Mint Couscous Salad with Grilled Zucchini” is a refreshing way to enjoy the flavor of zucchini picked fresh from the garden.

I prefer the consistency of grilled zucchini and still have memories of trying to hide “mushy” zucchini in my napkin during a family dinner. It was my least favorite vegetable back then. Today, I am grateful for my evolving taste buds, as well as some refreshing new recipes that allow me to enjoy eating this healthy green vegetable.

While I did not like eating zucchini as part of my dinner as a child, I always had an appetite for zucchini bread. Perhaps, that had something to do with the addition of sugar. “The Classic Zucchini Cookbook” takes this old favorite one step further with the addition of chocolate, my favorite food group.

Even though zucchini is plentiful in New England today, summer squash was not common until the 1950s. According to Chesman, Americans traveled more during the post-World War II era and this resulted in a broadening of their palates. Improvements such as refrigerated rail cars increased the availability of a wider range of foods, like zucchini. Gardeners started growing zucchini seeds, and the vegetable flourished, especially in New England.

So, if you planted too much zucchini in your garden this season or have graciously accepted some “extras” from your friends, you, too, may be looking for new zucchini recipes. FYI: A quick Google search on the Internet for “zucchini recipes” turned up 121,000 possibilities.

Lemon-mint couscous salad with grilled zucchini

from “The Classic Zucchini Cookbook,” by Nancy C. Ralston, Marynor Jordan, and Andrea Chesman

Ingredients:

1½ cups instant couscous

½ teaspoon salt

2¼ cups boiling water

2 medium-sized zucchini, quartered and sliced

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning to taste

¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup black olives

¼ cup chopped fresh mint

Method:

Lightly oil a vegetable grill rack. Prepare a medium-hot fire in the grill with the rack in place. Combine couscous, salt and boiling water in a large mixing bowl. Cover and let stand until the couscous is tender and the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine zucchini, oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Lift the zucchini out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and grill until tender, turning occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the grilled zucchini to the couscous, along with the feta cheese, olives and mint. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Serve at room temperature. Serves 4-6.

Note: This hearty salad can be served as a vegetarian main course or as a side dish.

Chocolate zucchini bread

Ingredients:

1¾ cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups grated zucchini

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1¼ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup chocolate chips

½ cup chopped nuts

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease two 5- by 9-inch loaf pans. Combine sugar, eggs and oil in large bowl. Beat until well blended. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. In another bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the zucchini mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake the loaves for 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the breads in the pans on wire racks, about 10 minutes. Invert onto the racks and cool completely. Makes 2 loaves.