zucchine alla scapece

Summer calls for very simple meals- the produce is fresh and usually needs little more than slicing, arranging and salting. Sliced tomatoes with minced shallot and basil, chilled sliced cantaloupe with olive oil and salt, steamed green beans from the garden, simple galettes with whatever fresh fruit is around…less time in the kitchen, more time outside. Lately one of the things coming out of our garden in spades is zucchini. Although there is lots, we happily eat them all, and their flowers, too. I never understood all the jokes about having too many zucchini in the garden, you know the ones- having to sneak your extras onto your neighbors porch or something in the middle of the night to get rid of them. I find the key is to check the plants daily and so we almost never get those giant baseball bats- harvest on the small side for the most intensity of flavor and a good firm texture.

I love zucchini now, although I loathed it as a kid. My father likes vegetables well done, mushy, so we often had things boiled or sautéed within an inch of their lives, a texture preference for him. I actually don’t mind a softer vegetable here and there- for example, I don’t care for green beans that still squeak when you bite them- but as a child, boiled summer squash was the pits. These days I usually sauté my zucchini simply, flavored with chile, olive oil and garlic and eat as a side or toss with pasta. Some make their way into the minestrone pot alongside the green beans. At least a few times in summer, I make Julia Child’s zucchini tian, which is wonderful and a well worn rite of mid summer for us. I also always add zucchini into cold pasta salad, raw and sliced very thin on a mandolin. My other favorite way to use my zucchini is alla scapece, marinated in vinegar and garlic and mint. I first tasted this years ago via my cousins tiny kitchen in Rome, along with other still- favorites like pomodori col riso (worthwhile to note, also an excellent dish to make through August, with early girl tomatoes). True to many of Italy’s dishes, zucchine alla scapece is incredibly simple, just a few ingredients, but flavorful and delicious. You slice your zucchini, I usually do it around noon, and let it sit on a clean tea towel for a few hours in the sun or on a counter to wick away moisture and leave you with condensed flavor. Then, the rounds do quick dance with hot oil in a pan, after which you sharpen the edges with a douse of vinegar, herbs, and salt. The result is a perfect side or antipasto, which is also wonderful tossed into pasta or lentil salad, too. Leftovers keep well in the fridge, if you want to make a larger batch and eat off it during the week.

Small zucchini are best here as they have sweeter flavor and less seeds/watery flesh. I use the variety Costata Romanesco from my garden, which are dense and firm and sweet, but of course any zucchini is fine. Usually the zucchini are deep fried and more vinegar is added to make this more of a preserve. I like it best with just a bit of vinegar so I can eat it as a side instead of a pickle- but if you’re looking for a more original version, there is a good one here. I sauté them instead of deep frying. If you don’t want to fry at all, you can try placing them on a cookie rack, brush with oil, and broil in the oven (about 5 minutes each side) for less mess/less oil. The vinegar, salt, mint and chile amounts are to your taste, or q.b: quanto basta, however much is enough for you.

4-6 smallish zucchini
4 tbsp olive oil; divided
2-3 cloves garlic
red wine vinegar, to taste, I used about 1 tbsp
salt to taste
chile flakes to taste or a thinly sliced fresh red fresno chile
a small handful fresh mint

First, put on a good playlist and pour yourself a cold drink, it gets hot cooking this dish. Apron on for spatters, sleeves up. Slice the zucchini into thin rounds (I use my favorite Benriner mandoline to make quick, even work of this) and lay in a single layer on a clean tea towel for a few hours or more, in the sun or on the counter. This step is important to the final texture- to dry out the excess water in the zucchini, therefore making it more flavorful and not as mushy. If you are really pressed for time, you can skip it, though, the flavor will still be wonderful.

Heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet, and when hot, add enough zucchini to make a single layer (ok if they are a bit overlapped as they will shrink as they cook). When they begin to get golden, flip them with tongs and cook the other side. This should take about 5 or less minutes. Remove from pan to a bowl and repeat the process until all the zucchini are cooked. This took three batches for me- I started the first batch with 2 tbsp of oil and added the remaining 2 tbsp for subsequent batches when the oil looked low.

Meanwhile, mince the garlic or slice very thinly. When all of the zucchini is done cooking and in the bowl (and still hot), sprinkle over the garlic, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper (or chile flakes). Give it a good stir and let sit aside for at least 30 minutes or more to let the flavors meld and the zucchini cool. Before serving, tear the mint into the bowl and stir well again, tasting and adding more mint, salt, or vinegar if needed. Serve as an antipasto or a side, preferably with crusty bread or rice to soak up the delicious juices.