Zany for Zucchini
How to Roast the Vegetable that Grows Too Big
Cucurbita pepo sounds like a role Carmen Miranda had to play once she came to Hollywood, but it’s actually the Latin name for one of summer’s saddest lovelies: zucchinis. It’s a pity their prolific nature makes them a punch-line pariah, as if their very heartiness, their ability to take Darwin at his word, means we grow bitter. Damn out-producers, we think. But is there anything more summer than zucchini? It pairs well with that other summer stalwart, the tomato; it’s a delicious mix with cheese; and then there’s the best zucchini secret, and I will share it with you: Roast them. You can slice them thin, cook them in olive oil at 375 degrees until they brown, and add them to pasta or salad, or just on the plate as a creamy side (roast them long, don’t fear). Slice them in chunks and you’re on your way to ratatouille if you’ve got peppers and tomatoes, which, if done properly (you’ve seen the movie) is a trip to paradise. The biggest trick is to keep them from growing baseball bat-sized, when their seeds become too much of the show. But even then there’s a rescue-scoop the seeds and stuff those canoes with the rest of summer’s bounty.
