Here’s a plate of quintessential summer eating: zucchini, from the vine to the grill, handfuls of freshly snipped herbs, and juicy grape tomatoes tossed with olive oil, a touch of vinegar, and salt and pepper. So easy it hardly needs a recipe.

This is my favorite kind of salad to eat in the summer; it’s colorful, fresh, and it has that irresistible grilled flavor! It looks lovely on the table, which is not a small consideration. I love how the heat of the grilled zucchini brings the juices running out of the tomatoes to help make the dressing tangy and sweet. And if you have a fruitful zucchini plant or two, then you know that any zucchini recipes are welcome this time of year.

Grilled Zucchini and Grape Tomato Salad

serves 4

1 large zucchini
Extra virgin olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes
Handful fresh herbs chives, sage, basil, summery savory, oregano
1 tablespoon extra virgin finishing-quality olive oil, or more to taste
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Heat the grill to medium hot. Cut the zucchini in half crosswise and then lengthwise so you have four quarters. Brush the cut sides with olive oil. Grill for about 5 minutes total, depending on the thickness of the zucchini. Flip once so that the outside also gets grill marks. You want the zucchini hot through and juicy, but not too soft.

(If you don’t have a grill, then broil the zucchini cut side up for a couple minutes or until they begin to brown.)

Cut up the zucchini into bite-sized pieces. Cut the grape tomatoes in half and toss with the zucchini. Mince the herbs finely and toss with the other vegetables. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Taste and adjust as necessary.

Enjoy!

(Image: Faith Durand)

by Faith Durand August 14, 2009 01:30PMRead the original post:


Apartment Therapy The Kitchn | Recipe: Grilled Zucchini and Grape …

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During the summer grilling season, many of us enjoy burgers, hot dogs, ribs and chicken slathered in BBQ sauce. We also get those yummy salads, you know the ones loaded with mayo. Each one of these dishes holds a spot on the list of things I love but my hips hate. But despite the somewhat questionable nutritional value of these dishes, I still eat them. To counter the guilt from eating these, I like to throw some grilled vegetables into the mix. And during late summer, zucchini is the perfect choice.

I love zucchini. I love it in pastas, stir fries, salads and raw on veggie trays. It is also quite scrumptious when it is lightly seasoned with your favorite seasoning blend, drizzled with olive oil and grilled. It softens and gets a charred flavor that I love.

For this recipe, I used Salad Elegance as my seasoning blend. I had never tried it before but while I was walking in the grocery store last week I happened to over hear some guy say to his shopping buddy Youve never tried this? You have to get it. It is good on everything. Me, being the one who is always on search for a good seasoning blend to use in a pinch, decided to pick up the small bottle since it was on sale. My favorite part about it was the sesame seeds. They add a nice nutty flavor. The paprika also adds a nice color to the zucchini. With that said, you could use any seasoning blend that you like. Lemon pepper would be lovely. Or to kick it up a bit try a cajun or creole seasoning blend.

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

You will need:

• 2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
• 2-3 teaspoons Salad Elegance seasoning blend
• olive oil for drizzling

1. Preheat your grill to medium heat.
2. Sprinkle seasoning blend over sliced zucchini. Drizzle with olive oil.
3. Place prepared zucchini on the grill. Cook 5-8 minutes or until grill marks are darkened and zucchini starts to brown. (Note: To get the perfect grill marks, dont move the zucchini around too much.)
4. Serve.

I am happy to say that I actually grilled these and not Ryan. It was my first attempt at grilling veggies and while I did lose one poor little guy between the grates, I like to think of this as a deliciously successful experiment. But Ryan has no need to worry, I have no plans on taking over permanently, I wasnt too keen on smelling like BBQ the rest of the night.

Enjoy!

Read more from the original source:
Recipe for Grilled Zucchini at Life’s Ambrosia

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