Zucchini Preserved in Olive Oil
Being a non-gardener means never experiencing the zucchini cycle: rapture over the first zuke gradually morphing into insomnia over what Barbara Kingsolver, in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, calls “the pyramid of excess vegetable biomass that was taking over our lives.” In fact, having to come to summer squash rather recently (more on this at a later date) I love them all: yellow crookneck, pattypan, lemon squash.
The zucchini’s delicate flavor leads detractors to wrongly label it watery, bland, or dull. Nonsense. Take this wonderful recipe from Eugenia Bone, where zucchini are sliced lengthwise, broiled, seasoned, then laid in an olive oil bath. Sprinkle on minced garlic and parsley if you wish. Or don’t. Either way, this is a wonderful way with zucchini.
Eugenia suggests pairing the zucchini with bruschetta, pasta, or, our favorite chez IK, wrapped around marble-sized balls of fresh mozzarella.
Eugenia Bone’s Zucchini Preserved In Olive Oil
From Well-Preserved
serving size: flexible
4-8 Medium Zucchini, organic if possible
Olive Oil
Salt (preferably sea salt)
Pepper
1 Medium Garlic Clove, Minced (optional)
3 Tablespoons Parsley (Optional)
Preheat the broiler.
Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Wash the zucchini and trim the ends. Slice lengthwise into “planks,” aiming for ¼ inch thick. Any thinner and they’ll burn rather than broil.
Lay the zucchini on the oiled baking sheet. Place in oven about six inches from the broiler.
What you do next depends on your broiler.
If yours is a good one, allow the zucchini broil about five minutes. They should blister, but not burn. Turn them, broiling the second side for an additional three minutes.
If your broiler cooks unevenly, you may need to shuffle the zucchini to ensure even cooking. Check about every three minutes, shifting the planks with a fork. In my oven, they need about six minutes per side. This is a minor, ultimately worthwhile hassle.
Once the zucchini are nicely blistered, remove the tray from oven. Zucchini will throw off some moisture. Blot with paper towels.
Lay the cooled planks in a clean glass or plastic storage container. Add salt, pepper. Sprinkle in garlic and parsley, if using. Cover with olive oil. Refrigerate immediately.
Notes:
If you have more than one baking sheet, do this in relays, preparing the next sheet of zucchini while the first broils.
About that olive oil to cover: yes, it’s a lot of olive oil. Taste matters here, so unless you’ve come into an inheritance, use good olive oil but not the finest.
Once the zucchini are eaten up, use the leftover oil to prepare vegetable dishes, dress salads, drizzle over pasta, in sandwiches, or for dipping.
Food and safely rules dictate telling my saying this dish keeps ten days.Provided it’s kept refrigerated, with the zucchini beneath the oil, will likely keep about a month.
Eugenia Bone graciously shared her recipe from Well-Preserved, the book that taught me to can. Bone has written four other books: At Mesa’s Edge, Italian Family Dining (co-authored with her father, Edward Giobbi), Mycophilia, and The Kitchen Ecosystem. All are necessary additions to the serious cook’s library.
Well Preserved: Eugenia Bone, Clarkson Potter Publishers New York, 2009
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver, Harper Collins, Publishers, New York 2007
