Just when we thought summer was starting to wind down, the farmers markets in Boston started EXPLODING at the seams with zucchini. I have yet to find a person who thinks this is a bad thing though- there are so many amazing things you can do with them (eat raw, broiled, grilled, steamed, etc) Today I felt a little ambitious and decided to split them open and layer on roasted tomatoes and gooey goat cheese (are you hungry yet?) It is a little more time consuming that my typical recipe but still EASY PEASY. Let me tell you.
Zucchini Boats
What you need:
- 4 medium sized zucchini
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes
- Herbed Goat Cheese
- Breadcrumbs
- Basil
Cut the zucchini in half and gently scrape out a 1/4inch depression down the center, the full length of each side (it should look, simply, like a boat). Lightly salt and pepper and drizzle on some olive oil. Put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and put in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile cut the cherry tomatoes in half, chop fresh basil and toast the breadcrumbs on the stove.
Take the zucchini out of the oven when they start to soften (don’t burn your finger pushing on the zucchini like I did- use a spoon or a chopstick). Fill the depression in the center with the cut tomatoes, flesh side up, and top with crumbled goat cheese, basil and breadcrumbs. Stick the boats back into the oven at 450 degrees for another 15 minutes.
Take out of the oven when the cheese looks gooey and the tomatoes are nice and soft. Cut each zucchini into pieces and serve. DONE!!
Now watch them dissappear from the plate as your friends gobble up the summery goodness. You can also have a lot of fun experimenting- maybe try a different kind of cheese like mozarella or parmesean or top them with different spices- really the zucchini is your canvas and the opportunities are endless!
Really the only downside to these amazing apps is that you need to turn the oven on. For these though- I”ll stand the heat. I recommend that you do too.
Beautiful Life and Style 