Why I do the cooking around here

Last night I was off to attend a school board meeting (I sit in on most of them as a representative of our P.T.A.-like group—that way they can't complain about us, at least not at the meeting). Usually these nights I race home and cook most of dinner for Husband and Sophie, leaving little PostIts around the kitchen on pot lids and covered plates that read things like " Steam these," "Grill this" and on the counter with instructions to "See stove for side dish." But last night we had to meet right before I had to leave at Sophie's modern dance class for their final presentation of their work. So I instructed Husband to take Sophie to the market, where they could decide together what they wanted to prepare for dinner. I think it's important that she realize we are both capable of putting a meal on the table. 

Here are the leftovers from said dinner:


Anything missing here? How about some COLOR? We have grilled trout, grilled scallops, boiled potatoes (served with butter), and steamed turnips (served with olive oil). They finished with a salad, which I'm assuming was green, but the dinner plate? I always think a little color is nice.

On of my favorite things green this time of year is roasted zucchini. This method prevents the zucs from turning soft and mushy as they are roasted by leeching out extra water beforehand.

ROASTED ZUCCHINI

Preheat oven the 450 degrees.

You can cut up the zucchini any way you want, but I always like a roll cut.

Place the cut up zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with a liberal amount of salt. Place colander in the sink and leave for about 15 to 20 minutes. 

Without rinsing, wrap zucchini in a dish towel and press to squeeze out as much water as possible.

Place zucchini in a large bowl and toss with olive oil and chopped garlic. Spread zucchini on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast for about 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

I like to serve with fresh lime and perhaps a little of my favorite flaked black salt (you don't need much since it was already salted to draw off the water). I also sometimes add some fresh oregano if I have it.

I know the thought of cranking up the oven like this sounds unappealing on a hot day. You could also use the salting technique, skewer them, and roast on a grill. And because the zucchini retain their firmness, they're good cold the next day with a tzatziki. 

I'm relieved that we've seen the last of winter greens for a while and mourning the end of the asparagus season, reflecting that it really sucks that the vegetable I prefer the least has a season that goes on forever and the one I love the most is here and gone in a flash. But I love zucchini somewhere in the middle and appreciate that there's so much you can do with it, so I'm not cross with it for hanging around. If you have enough space and heat to grow silly amounts in your yard, don't complain to me.