Recipe

Rachel's Zucchini

Adapted from this recipe

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, enough to seem generous without leaving the zucchini oily
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1 ½ pounds (680 grams, or about six medium) zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
Kosher salt
A handful of fresh basil leaves
Fresh mozzarella, for serving
Crusty bread, for serving

Put the olive oil in a large (ideally, 12-inch) skillet, and add the garlic. Warm over medium heat, turning the garlic cloves occasionally, for about five minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden. (Do not, under any circumstances, allow the garlic to burn.) Remove and discard the garlic. Add the zucchini to the garlicky oil, along with a generous pinch of salt, and stir to coat the slices with oil. Cook gently over medium (or even medium-low) heat, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is very soft – no longer creamy-white on the inside, but rather a pale shade of yellowy green. (For Rachel, this took 15 to 25 minutes, but for me, it takes closer to 45 minutes.) When the zucchini is ready, remove it from the heat. Tear the basil leaves, and stir them into the zucchini, allowing them to wilt in the heat.

Serve warm or at warmish room temperature, with fresh mozzarella and bread.

Yield: 2 generous servings