Tuesday, August 11, 2009

never turn your back on zucchini...

...or this may be the outcome:
And it wasn't the only one...
But look! Tomatoes!!! (and beans and eggplant and peppers and cucumbers...)

It's good to be home.

Grill-Roasted Late Summer Vegetables with Fresh Oregano

Ingredients:

about 5 Cups chopped zucchini (this was 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small zucchini for me)

1 very ripe deep red tomato, chopped

1 very ripe orange or yellow tomato, chopped

3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves stripped, chopped, and stems discarded

1 large clove garlic, minced

olive oil

large pinch of sea salt

a few grinds of pepper

chopped fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

aluminum foil (a sheet about 24 inches long)

This is one of my favorite ways to cook in the summer, but this dish can also be made in a roasting pan in the oven. The cooking time might vary - keep an eye on the veggies, and I would heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare a grill (we use a charcoal grill with a hinged cover).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and oregano. Add the salt and freshly ground pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss gently to coat the vegetables in the oil. Set aside.

Make an aluminum foil packet: fold a sheet of aluminum foil (about 24 inches long) in half to form a squarish shape. Fold over two of the open sides crimping them a bit to seal. Gently open the one un-crimped side and spoon the vegetable mixture into the packet. Fold over the opening to seal. You should have a tightly sealed squarish foil packet.

When ready, place the foil packet on the grill, put the lid on, and cook until the vegetables are cooked through - about 25 minutes depending on the heat of the grill. Ours was approximately 225 degrees. If the foil packet begins to char on the grill, move it to a cooler spot or lower the coals underneath it. When the vegetables are ready, carefully transfer the packet to a plate, open it slowly (there will be steam) and transfer them to a serving bowl. Garnish with a bit of chopped fresh parsley, if desired, and serve.

5 comments:

Yeon said...

Welcome back! Love the colors together, so pretty.

Lucy said...

Welcome home.

And what a welcome...that's one mighty zucchini you have made. It made me hoot with laughter!

A beautiful meal.

Chelsea said...

Thanks ladies :)

I'm quite enjoying catching up with both of your blogs. It's incredible how much happens in one week!

Through My Kitchen Window said...

Your insides ought to be glistening with health after eating a meal like this. I am awfully envious of that beautiful looking veggie basket. If I were you I would be turning my back more often.

Chelsea said...

Hi Mariana - I wish I could share some of these veggies with you; we've just given away two HUGE bags of zucchini!

Glistening with health - hah! The awful truth of the matter is that I'm so busy around here preserving these things for future use that dinners lately are, well, not so hot. The irony is not lost, though ;)