Zucchini "Stumps" Baked with Ground Meat

Peel the onion and finely chop it.

Peel the carrots and grate them on a fine grater.

Sauté the onion in vegetable oil for about 3 minutes.

Add the carrots and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the ground meat, stir, and cook for 10–15 minutes. Break the meat apart with a spatula as it cooks so it browns evenly.

Peel the zucchini if needed (if the skin is tough). Cut each zucchini into 3–4 pieces.

Using a teaspoon, scoop out the flesh from each piece without cutting all the way through to the bottom. You should end up with little cups.

Add half of the scooped-out zucchini flesh, finely chopped, to the ground meat. Also add the tomato paste and sour cream (reserving 1 tbsp). Season with salt and pepper.

Stir everything together and simmer for a couple more minutes.

Place the zucchini cups in a baking dish or on a sheet pan. Fill each one with the ground meat mixture, mounding it slightly.

Spread the reserved sour cream over the tops. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 30–50 minutes (depending on how tender you want the zucchini).

Serve hot.

The zucchini "stumps" will vary in height and thickness — just like real stumps in the forest.