Zucchini are one of my favourite vegetables, so imagine my surprise when I found out that it's not really a vegetable. Botanically speaking it's actually a fruit, the swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower. This remarkable 'fruit' can be steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed, baked, barbequed, fried, baked into a bread, incorporated in a soufflé, shredded for fritters or battered as tempura. In short, the zucchini (or courgette) is an amazingly versatile little thing, plus it's low in calories. The word zucchini comes from the italian zucchino which means small squash. They come in many shapes and sizes, but the dark green zucchini is probably the best known and most popular of the summer squashes. Zucchini has a natural sweetness when its cooked, making it an obliging ingredient in both savoury and sweet dishes, this easy and delicious Grilled Zucchini with Shaved Parmigiano and Fresh Mint is one of my favourite summer recipes.
Grilled Zucchini with Shaved Parmigiano & Mint
Serves 4-6
4 large zucchini, trimmed and sliced diagonally about 1/4-inch thick
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
Maldon salt and fresh ground pepper
Place the zucchini on a large plate and brush with the oil, then lightly season with salt and pepper. Preheat the BBQ to medium-high and when hot, arrange the zucchini in one layer and grill for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown with nice grill marks.
To serve, arrange the zucchini on a large platter and top with the shaved parmigiana and sliced or whole mint leaves with a sprinkle of Maldon salt.
No comments:
Post a Comment