The last week has been unrelentingly hot and so I’ve spent lots of time in the garden watering and picking. Filet beans (above) and apples are ripening, and every day there are several new zucchini. I am sticking to my resolution to “harvest early, harvest small”, and I am trying to consume things on the day they are picked.

Usually we like to barbeque thinly sliced zucchini, but decided to get out of the zucchini rut and try some new recipes.

(1) Zucchini ceviche

There are many different recipes for this on the internet and they all seem to involve thinly slicing the zucchini, covering with lemon juice and olive oil, sprinkling with salt and pepper and letting the flavours mix in the fridge for a few hours. Before serving, sprinkle with feta and a handful of fresh herbs (mint, parsley, chives, oregano) and serve. This was an easy dish and it presented well. And how can you go wrong with herbs, olive oil and feta? I was expecting a miracle zucchini transformation and at the end of the day, that just didn’t happen. Will I make it again? Unlikely.

(2) Zucchini pasta

Again, the internet is full of different recipes for this. I used a mandoline to slice the zucchini and salted it for several  hours in the fridge. Just before serving, I rinsed and drained the zucchini, heated it in the microwave, then drained again before plating. I served it with a very robust putenesca sauce (raw tomatoes, garlic, herbs, capers) and lots of parmesan and it was a huge hit with the rest of the famil.

(3) Zucchini skewers

Okay, so this isn’t a new idea, but this is what is for dinner tonight. Zucchini hidden among the rest of the veggies.

Okay, stay tuned for more summer ideas.