Table Talk
Zucchini
I used to have an aversion to zucchini. I blame this entirely on my upbringing, where zucchini equaled a slimy, mushy dish that made me literally gag. It was a vegetable that I couldn't bring myself to eat for years, except in zucchini bread or chocolate zucchini cake. At least in those dishes, you couldn't actually tell that you were eating zucchini. But though age does often bring wisdom, it can also bring a sense of adventure, and je ne sais quoi, and can cause a perfectly sane woman to put something potentially disgusting in her mouth, on a very regular basis. Why not zucchini? Could it possibly be as bad as I remember? The answer, of course, is yes. But most foods can be delicious with some skill and good ingredients. Enter the grill, some lemon, fresh oregano, grated Parmesan, butter and garlic. And a timer. It may seem obvious by now that the slimy zucchini was simply the victim of abandonment, having been left to simmer and cook for WAY too long. Here is a delicious zucchini recipe for the hot days of summer--- just remember to set the timer.
Grilled Zucchini with Garlic and Lemon Butter Baste
8 medium zucchini (about 2 1/2 pounds) -- trimmed, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup butter -- (1 stick)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Preheat barbecue (medium heat). Score cut side of zucchini halves diagonally about 1/4 inch deep at 1-inch intervals. Melt butter with lemon juice concentrate, lemon-pepper seasoning, garlic powder, oregano, and fennel in heavy small saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.
Brush seasoned butter on cut side of zucchini. Place zucchini on grill and cook until charred on all sides and just beginning to soften, about 12 minutes. If desired, arrange zucchini on grill, cut side up, and sprinkle with cheese; close lid of barbecue and cook until cheese just softens, about 1 minute. Transfer zucchini to platter.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 104 Calories; 12g Fat (97.7% calories from fat); trace Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 117mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Fat.
NOTES : Delicious. Original recipe called for curry powder instead of fennel.
