Grilled Zucchini Ribbons w/Fresh Herbs & Balsamic Dressing

 

About this recipe:

Mid Summer IS zucchini season!! If you survived the squash bugs and the vine borers (we were lucky this year!!), you probably have an overabundance of zucchini in your backyard garden right now. Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable, there’s really no bad recipe! Stewed with tomatoes and garlic, baked into a delicious ratatouille, or thrown on the grill. The problem with most grilled zucchini is the high moisture content makes it hard to get nice dark grill marks, and often ends up limp and soggy. We’ve solved that problem by slicing our zucchini into thin ribbons and weaving them onto bamboo skewers so the thin edges cook quickly and develop a nice char without leaving you with a soggy squash.

Ingredients:

Zucchini Skewers:

  • 4 Medium Zucchini (or mix of Zucchini and Yellow Squash)

  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

  • 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Marjoram, Divided

  • 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Parsley, Divided

  • About 1/4 Cup EV Olive Oil

Balsamic Dressing:

  • 1/4 Cup Aged Balsamic Vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

  • Pinch of Salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

  • 1/2 Cup EV Olive Oil

Special Equipment

  • Mandolin or Extra Wide Vegetable Peeler

  • 8 Eight-inch Bamboo Skewers, soaked in water for 10 minutes

Directions:

For the Dressing:

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar, seal, and shake to combine. Taste and adjust salt as desired.

For Skewers:

Remove the ends of the zucchini and slice off a single 1/4-inch thick round from the blossom end. Carefully use a mandolin or a wide vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/16” thick ribbons.

Insert two bamboo skewers through the reserved zucchini coin, about 1/2 inch apart, and push it about 1/3 of the way down the skewers. This will create a stable skewer holder and allow you to weave the ribbons more easily. Carefully fold one zucchini ribbon into a ‘Z’ Shape, and thread it onto the two skewers, pushing down with your finger between the two skewers until it reaches the coin. Repeat, alternating the direction you thread the ribbon skewer, until the skewer is full, pushing down the zucchini coin as the skewer fills up. Leave about 1-1/2 inches of skewer at each end (to make it easy to grasp and flip on the grill). Repeat with the remaining skewers. Drizzle the skewers with olive oil and sprinkle each side with salt and pepper and  2 teaspoons each of the Marjoram and Parsley. Reserve 1tsp of each of the herbs for garnishing after grilling.

Preheat your grill to its highest setting (or build a HOT charcoal fire). Once hot, place the skewers on the grates, and grill each side until lightly charred (no more than 2 minutes per side). Remove from the grill and place on a serving plate, lightly drizzle with the Balsamic Dressing, and garnish with the reserved minced herbs. Serve immediately with the extra dressing on the side.

NOTEs:

Great on it’s own as a side dish, grilled zucchini ribbons are a versatile summer staple:

  • Stuff it in a pita with some Feta, Cucumbers, and Red Onion.

  • Add it to your favorite Italian Sandwich (pairs well with Salami and Mortadela).

  • You can also chill it and serve it on a bed of greens for a lovely Grilled Vegetable Salad.

  • Or chop it up and throw it in a Pasta Salad with some Mozzarella Pearls and halved Cherry Tomatoes.