23 August 2005

roast zucchini with garlic & dill

We had dinner guests over last night for whom I prepared lamb kebabs, bulgur pilaf, and a cucumber salad. I also made a roasted zucchini dish that was new to me, but turned out really nicely, I think.

1 large or 2 medium zucchini
salt, as needed (I used sea salt)
3/4 cup olive oil (approximately)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon dried dill (or 2 tablespoons minced fresh)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

This is one of those recipes where the flavor of the oil and vinegar come through clearly, so be sure to use good quality.

Slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch thick sliced. Do not peel. Cutting on the bias gives you attractive slices. Spread in a single layer cooling or drying racks set on a cookie sheet or a towel.

Sprinkle with salt, turn slices over and sprinkle the other side with salt. Let stand for 30-40 minutes or so. The salt will draw some moisture out of the zucchini so that when it is roasted, it will remain firm. Liquid should bead on top of the sliced and drip from them. Place slices in a colander and rinse off well with cold water and shake off excess water.

Heat oven to 400F. Brush a large baking sheet with olive oil (or use two smaller sheets). Place zucchini slices on sheet in a single layer. Slice garlic cloves very thinly and scatter over zucchini, making sure they are fairly evenly distributed. Sprinkle zucchini with dill and drizzle with olive oil.

Place baking sheet(s) in the top third of the oven. Let bake 15-20 minutes, until the slices begin to shrivel a bit, but not dry out (drizzle with more oil if drying out too quickly). Scatter pine nuts over eggplant and all to bake for 5-10 minutes longer, until nuts, garlic, and edges of zucchini just begin to brown.

Remove slices onto a serving plate and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Allow to cool for several minutes before serving.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

This zucchini dish was wonderful. I've been following your blog since this one caught my eye, but this is the first chance I've had to cook it. I actually tried the peach tart first, but it came out awful (all my fault). Anyway, I was thrilled to find a recipe that actually used fresh dill!

12:44 PM  

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