Home grown zucchinis are the best of course, but a fresh vegetable food store compares to home grown as a close second. I recall a neighbor at church passing out free zucchini from his car trunk, yet still having baskets full left over from the bounty grown in his garden. His plea of “Oh, please take some more” was not lost on our home chef. My mother’s meals during harvest season included every variation of zucchini from breads and muffins to casseroles and stews. The frozen packages for later use, lasted all year long.
Recently while watching TV’s Jacques Pepin, one of my life long favorites, I found many more uses for the zucchini. Jacques recipes using just olive oil and garlic were very good, but the addition of my home made copy-cat version of Lawry Pinch of Herbs made the flavor simply superb. Here is my recipe:
Broiled Zucchini with Olive Oil and Herbs
Serves 3-4 people as a side dish
Ingredients:
3-4 zucchini, 8-10 inches long (about 1 per person)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lawry’s Pinch of Herbs Copy Cat Seasoning
Large baking sheet
Instructions:
Using a mandolin for uniform thickness, start by slicing the washed zucchini lengthwise about one quarter inch thick. I use three medium sized ones for two people as a main dish or one per person as a side dish I do not peel the zucchini.
Brush a large baking sheet with olive oil
Lay out the zucchini, as many pieces as will fit, crowding them together won’t hurt.
Drizzle or brush the olive oil over the top of each one.
Season individually with a Pinch of Herbs and put on the center oven rack, under a 550 degree F broiler until done. I’ve cooked them several ways; varying the time from 5 minutes for a meaty result, to 8 minutes for more well done result. Less time made a softer texture, longer time more crust and crispy. The main photo is the 8 minute version. I sometimes turn them over and go for more seasoning because they just taste so dar n good. The flavor is just delicious. Serve immediately.
