Zucchinis:

• 1/4 cup evoo
• 3 medium zucchinis
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 lb gruyere, grated or sliced w/ veg peeler

Pesto:

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach or arugula leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3-1/2 cup evoo
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

What to do with all that zucchini either sprouting like crazy from your garden or spilling out of the abundant farmer's market crates? Well, here's one easy option. I like to slice mine lengthwise, which is easy to do if you have a sharp knife. If you don't have a sharp knife, you should get one. If you are in the area I'll sharpen them for you- $1 an inch. This is not really a money maker for me, but I do it as a public service because people need sharp knives. Cooking is so much easier and less dangerous.

Make the pesto in advance by pulsing all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Have it ready to go before you start grilling.

Witness the crosshatch! Thanks for the truly awesome photos, Clark. I need a full time staff photographer that I can pay with food, so let me know if you ever leave your day job

Toss the zucchinis in the olive oil and a good sprinkling of salt & pepper. Toss on a hot grill for 3-4 minutes or until you can see the char lines. Rotate 90 degrees and grill for another 3-4 minutes to get those beautiful crosshatch marks. Flip over and repeat on the other side. As the zucchinis finish cooking, throw them into a shallow baking pan or serving dish. Once all of the zucchini slices are in the dish, spread the cheese on top. Let sit until the cheese melts on the hot zucchinis and then top with pesto & serve.

I totally stole this recipe from an old issue of Food & Wine, but they made it as a sandwich instead. I much prefer it as a side dish, myself.


Finished product. This is the perfect veggie side dish for grilling because you do it first, set it aside, and then grill your meats. I would recommend it with a whole grilled fish. That'll be another post. Stay tuned!