Instructions: To prepare the dried corn husks: Start with at least twice as may dried corn husks as you will need (they usually come in packages of a few dozen). Soak them in hot water for about 30 minutes. When theyre soft, rinse them under running water as you separate them, discarding the very small or torn ones.

Lay them flat on a plate and keep them covered with a damp tea towel until you need them. The longer torn ones can be torn further, into 1/2 inch strips and used for ties. To prepare the filling: Wash and trim the zucchini and cut it into 1/4 inch dice. Toss it with a teaspoon of salt and leave it to drain in a colander for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the onion finely, mince the garlic and trim and thinly slice the green onions.

Heat the olive oil in an ample non-stick skillet and saute all the onions and garlic in it until they begin to color. When the zucchini have released their water, press them gently in the colander, then add them to the onion mixture. Continue cooking the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini are tender and the mixture is quite dry. It is essential to have no excess liquid here. Stir in the green chilies, lemon juice, some pepper and the chopped cilantro. Taste, and correct the seasoning if needed. This makes about 2 cups or enough filling for at least 20 tamales. Any leftover filling is delicious in omelets, quesadillas, or burritos, or stirring into a vegetable soup.

To prepare the masa: Beat the softened butter in a mixing bowl until is light and fluffy. Whisk the dry masa harina with the salt and baking powder until well blended. Beat some of the dry mixture into the butter, then the milk then more of the dry mixture, then some of the broth and so on until everything is combined. The prepared masa should have the texture of a tender cookie dough; it should hold its shape well, but not feel dry or crumbly. If it is too dry, add a few more drops of broth, and if too sticky, add a little more masa harina. This makes enough masa for 18-20 tamales, using slightly less than 1/4 cup per tamale. To assemble the tamales: Lay a prepared corn husk flat on your work surface. Put about 1/4 cup masa in the center of it and spread it slightly. Be sure to leave at
least a 1 1/2 inch border on each side and a couple of inches at each end.

Put a rounded tablespoon of filling down the center of the masa, then lift one side of the husk gently over the other until the edges of the masa meet around the filling. Pinch the masa together a little with your fingers, sealing in the filling. Fold the husk lengthwise over the tamale, then fold in the narrow end, then finish rolling up the whole husk, loosely. This makes a tamale thats open on one end. If you have extra-long husks, you can fold the wide end in as well, envelope style, before you finish rolling.

Note: forming tamales is tricky the
first time, but soon gets much easier, and then becomes a lot of fun. Tie a thin strip of corn husk around the middle to hold everything together, but not too tightly, as the tamales will expand in cooking. If you have trouble tying strips of corn husk, use plain
brown, twine or another kind of tie that wont react with the food in steaming. To seam the tamales: Arrange them loosely in a roomy vegetable steamer. If you left the side end unfolded, be sure to handle them carefully and fit them into the steamer with the open end up. Steam the tamales for 35-45 minutes, then test one. If the masa is cooked through and no longer sticky, theyre done. Serve them hot. Tamales can be prepared a few hours ahead of time and held in the refrigerator, covered, until its time to steam them - just add a few minutes to the cooking time to take the chill off. They can also be re-steamed briefly a day or two later.

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