Baby zucchini with Savory herb
Every summer I’m buried with tons of fresh zucchini from the garden, which I love, but after a while it gets difficult to find new recipes and making them the same way too often is just plain boring. I start the season by frying the first flowers then I add them in risotto, or in frittata, the zucchini are also employed in many different dishes like grilled or rolled in ricotta cream. Lately I started preparing parmigiana di zucchine, I’ll post the recipe soon. Once I’ve made them all a number of times though I just need something new.
My auntie from Piedmont saved me this year with this simple dish that I just can’t make enough. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and a minute to eat. The first time I tasted them I loved them but I couldn’t figure out which herb she used. I asked if she added garlic which she didn’t and I would have swore she did because they were so flavorful. In the end she explained that she put an herb called “cerea” that grows everywhere even between stones in the sidewalk. In Italian is called, santoreggia, Savory in English. Oh, she also put in one basil leaf.
It’s true that you don’t need much to prepare a healthy and tasty dish and this is the proof. I hope you can find Savory herb, my auntie gave me a small plant in a pot to plant in my garden.
Ingredients:
1 lb. zucchini, preferably baby zucchini
5-6 zucchini flowers
a small twig of savory
one basil leaf
1 Tbsp. olive oil
sea salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Cut the zucchini lengthwise in four parts and then in pieces to get the desired length. Remove the pistil from the zucchini flowers.
2. Heat up the oil in a non-stick skillet and add the zucchini, the savory and the basil leave.
3. Cook for about 10 minutes and then salt to taste. Continue cooking until zucchini reaches the consistency you like. I prefer them when they’re still a little bit crunchy. If they get too dry add few spoons of water.
