Zucchini, dressed in herbs
Take the season’s bounty to the grill for an easy and perfect summer side
People, you know me—I am a happy omnivore, so much so that I dedicated an entire restaurant concept to meat (have you tried the José taco or the foie gras cotton candy at Bazaar Meat????). But as any chef or cook knows, there is so much more to good cooking than animal protein, and fruits and vegetables tell us so much about where we are in the world—the climate, the season, and how people live and eat.
When I wrote Vegetables Unleashed in 2019, I wanted to write a love letter to exactly that idea…that vegetables are versatile and tell a story, and that the possibilities with them in the kitchen are endless. You can pick a carrot from the earth and translate its natural sweetness into so many different variations, whether it’s a simple tapa like carrots with cumin, or a delicious carrot cake. Last Monday, I talked about sofrito, the backbone of Spanish cooking, and how something as simple as an onion, when given the proper time and love, can transform from sharp and pungent to sweet and caramelized.
Today I have for you a zucchini recipe that is probably coming at a good time, because in many parts of the U.S., we’re in the peak of zucchini season! If you have a garden, you might have more zucchini than you can eat or give away, or you might have neighbors gifting you zucchini every week. And people, the good news is that this is one of the most versatile vegetables out there!
When I was a kid in Spain, my dad used to get huge zucchini that he would cut into thick slices and cook like a steak. I loved those big zucchini, but I also love the younger spring zucchini that I grow in my garden at home. With this recipe, the size or type of the zucchini doesn’t matter…just light the grill, and gather a small forest of herbs (which, let’s be honest, are also probably growing out of control in your garden at this point in the season!).
The combination of the warm, slightly smoky grilled zucchini, the freshness of the herbs, and the cool, tangy, spiced yogurt will transform someone who thinks they don’t like zucchini into someone asking for seconds. It’s an easy side dish for a weeknight, but also so beautiful on a platter and special enough for an important dinner. If you think you’ve done everything you possibly can with zucchini, here’s one more way for you to enjoy it!