It's a Great Time for Vegetables

We just had a young man over for dinner who is trying to “move toward” a vegetarian diet for health reasons. When he asked if I could make lots of veggies with whatever else I was making, I decided it was a great time to make use of the prolific offerings of tomatoes and zucchini.

Since my family also loves roasted broccoli, I added that to the lineup, also. Two of these dishes are really nonrecipes, so I just included guidelines. The third recipe requires planning and prepping ahead, but it is well worth it.

Parmesan Tomato Slices

Get some ripe, meaty tomatoes (I used some beautiful, large Romas). After washing and trimming, cut the tomatoes into thick slices and place in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with foil or silpat. Sprinkle freshly ground or shredded Parmesan cheese over top; drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add
some chopped fresh herb, if you have any on hand. Broil until the cheese is melted.

Roasted Broccoli

Wash and trim a large head of broccoli then break it into florets. I often use cauliflower for this, too. Drizzle a large sheet pan with olive oil and sprinkle freshly ground pepper and a good sea salt over the oil.

Put the broccoli onto the pan, and mix it all up with your fingers, tossing until well blended. Bake vegetables at 425 degrees, stirring once, for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked to your liking.

Zucchini Patties

1 1/3-1 1/2 pounds zucchini, ends trimmed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2-3 tablespoons each chopped fresh mint and dill
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup plain bread crumbs (Japanese Panko bread crumbs are preferred)
1 slightly beaten egg
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Olive oil for sautéing
Plain yogurt, preferably Greek-style

Using the large-hole grating disk of a food processor, feed the zucchini through the tube and grate all of it. Alternatively, grate the zucchini on the large-hole side of a box grater. Place it in a bowl and toss with the salt; set aside for a half-hour to an hour. Wrap the zucchini in an old, clean (non-terry cloth) kitchen towel and squeeze out as much
juice as possible. Combine zucchini with the mint, dill, garlic, bread crumbs, egg and feta. Stir until well mixed.

Line a baking sheet with foil or waxed paper. Shape the mixture into balls, then flatten into patties and place on the prepared sheet pan. Chill for at least half an hour. To make ahead: You can keep these chilled, covered for up to four hours. When ready to cook, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook the patties until golden brown on one side.

Flip the patties and continue cooking until brown on the second side.

Keep patties warm on a clean sheet pan in the oven as you continue to cook the additional patties. Serve with plain yogurt and additional chopped dill and/or mint.

Comments

“It doesn’t ever matter how many of these you make, people just keep eating them until they’re gone!” — Alan Kornow

"The mint and dill add a nice freshness to it, while the feta adds a bit of richness." — Erika Cech

"The zucchini patties are delicious." — Mandy Crespo

Try any or all of these recipes and leave us comment. Let us know what you think!

Remember to send in your favorite recipes for Dexter Patch’s next food column. Send recipes to akcooker@yahoo.com.