Put away that hoe! Grilled zucchini boats

"The first zucchini I ever saw, I killed it with a hoe."  -- columnist John Gould in Monstrous Depravity: A jeremiad and a lamentation [about things to eat], 1963

Zucchini can take over a garden, and maybe some gardeners feel like taking a hoe to them on occasion.  When I was growing up, if a zucchini hid under the leaves and got too big to suit my mother (and by too big I mean anything over five or six inches long), she would pull it off and chuck it aside to let it rot in the garden.  Let's face it, zucchini are so prolific that gardeners can get pretty cavalier with them.  

We don't have enough space or sun to grow zucchini at our house, so I cherish zukes when I get good ones.  Last week I showed you the zucchini I got at the farmer's market.  Today I'll show you what I did with them.  My sister-in-law sent me this great grilled zucchini boat recipe.  If you have a zucchini-filled garden, it'll have you saying "whoa" to the hoe!  

This was cooked directly on the grill for great grill marks.

This recipe could be changed up almost any way you like.  You could make it spicy, add garlic or olives.  I've even seen similar recipes with bacon or sausage.  We liked it just like this, as a side dish.  It makes a beautiful presentation.

Grilled Zucchini Boats

2 medium zucchini (6-7 inches long), ends trimmed

3/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

2 plum or large cherry tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

3-4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons bread Italian crumbs

1/2 teaspoon (or several grinds with pepper mill) black pepper

Olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat grill to medium-high heat.  Cut zucchini in half lengthwise.  Scoop out centers to for a 1/2-inch- thick shell.

For filling:  Chop the zucchini center flesh.  Combine with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, basil, onions, bread crumbs and black pepper. 

Brush cut side of zucchini lightly with olive oil.  You can salt them lightly if desired.  Place zucchini, cut side down, on grill either directly or in a grill basket.  Grill, covered, for 6-8 minutes until tender crisp.  Check occasionally to prevent burning.

Turn zucchini over and fill the wells evenly with the filling.  Sprinkle on remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and parsley.  

Filled and ready to go back to the grill.

Return to grill and cook, covered, for additional 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is heated through.   Remove from grill.  If not using a basket, remove carefully using a large spatula.

Click for Printable recipe

Summer Bounty

It's the middle of August, and I finally made it to our local farmer's market.  Corn and zucchini from just down the road to go along with peaches our daughter picked up at another farmer's market.  And that prize tomato?  It's from my very own plant!  Looks like there's some fresh and healthy eating in my future.

I'm linking to God's Growing Garden's Themed Blog and Shop Hop.

Who Needs Green Bean Casserole?

Whew!  Thanksgiving is over.  We had such a great holiday with both kids home.  The weather was warm on black Friday, so we spent some time hanging outdoor Christmas lights.  Our son came up with a crazy notion to wrap tree trunks, so we did.  It looks a little unusual, but we had a lot of fun, working until well after dark.

Our Thanksgiving dinner was a real feast.  The local farm-raised turkey turned out juicy and tasty.  At our house, there are the usual dishes that we always have at Thanksgiving -- stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, and pumpkin pie -- but the vegetable dish is always up for grabs.  I will confess that I have never made nor eaten green bean casserole.  I like green beans, but the casserole just doesn't appeal to me.  This year, I made a kind of different vegetable dish, one that went perfectly with the sage and rosemary flavoring of the turkey and dressing.  I have also served this at Christmas because of the beautiful colors.  We got this recipe from our daughter's high school French teacher several years ago for a French Club dinner.  This picture is before the dish was baked.  Was too busy afterward to snap a picture of the finished product.

Zucchini and Tomato Bake

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (I used 3)
1 pound tomatoes
1 pound zucchini
1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan or skillet over low heat and cook the onion and garlic for about 20 minutes until soft and golden.  Spread over the base of a 12-inch shallow baking dish.

Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices.  (If the tomatoes are ver large, cut the slices in half.)  Cut the zucchini into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices.

Arrange alternating rows of zucchini and tomatoes over the onion mixture.  Sprinkle with the herbs, cheese, and salt and pepper.  (I omit the salt.)  Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.  Serve hot or warm.