Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables. There are so many things you can do with them. I often add them to stir fry's, sautée them on their own as a side dish, roast them, you can make a gratin, zucchini bread, veggie burgers -- there are a lot of options! However, one of my favorites is zucchini boats with garlic tomatoes and basil.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE: A GREAT WAY TO SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS
But before I get into that, I would like to welcome you to my Community Supported Agriculture Series. I bought a summer farm share at Clark Farm in Carlisle, MA. This is very exciting. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is all about supporting local farms by buying a share of their harvest before the growing season and receiving farm fresh produce every week for a certain period of time. This week is all about the amazing organic zucchini and basil I got as part of my CSA share.
I thought it would be fun to post new recipes each week where I use my fresh, organic farm veggies in recipes that you can make too! I know there are a lot of people out there who do CSA in the summer. So this is for all of you!
Zucchini boats with garlic tomatoes: a simple, elegant side dish bursting with flavor
If you are ever feeling stuck about what to serve as a side dish for your next dinner, please remember how versatile zucchini is. There are only a few ingredients and steps to making this gourmet treat.
- Spoon out the seeds from your zucchini.
- Fill it with your diced tomato mixture.
- Bake it in the oven.
- Add cheese, melt cheese, serve.
- Chop some fresh basil to garnish.
Seriously, zucchini is one of those vegetables that is always available. And in the summer? It's the best zucchini of the year - especially if you can get it from a local farm. So remember: zucchini rules! There are so many things you can make with it and zucchini boats are easy to prepare and look fancy!
If you're looking for more CSA recipes, you can check out my Clark Farm CSA recipes here. If you're looking for more side dish recipes, you should check out my Asparagus Two Ways, Potato Bacon Croquettes w/Gorgonzola Bechamel Sauce, Simply Veggie Medley Sauté, or my Roasted Kohlrabi w/Lemon Garlic Tahini Sauce.
It's easy to cook if you have all the ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions. And I have video too! I'll be with you every step of the way. Enjoy!
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Zucchini Boats with Garlic Tomatoes and Basil
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 portions 1x
Description
CSA organic zucchini boats with garlic tomatoes and fresh basil – a delightful, healthy side dish that’s simple to put together.
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchinis
- 2 med to large tomatoes
- 1 large clove of garlic, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup shredded parm (or mozzarella)
- 10-15 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Finely dice your garlic.
- Prep your zucchini. Cut the tips off the ends, then cut lengthwise, then cut those in half. You should have four zucchini boats per zucchini – so eight total. Take a spoon and scoop out the seeds of all the zucchinis. Once the seeds are removed, place all zucchini in a baking dish and set aside. My video shows this well.
- Prep your tomatoes. Remove the core of your tomatoes with a coring tool or paring knife. Cut the tomatoes in half. Remove the seeds and pulp from the tomatoes. It gets messy so it’s handy to have a garbage bowl to dump everything in to. Cut the tomatoes into strips, then dice into small pieces. Put diced tomatoes in a bowl and add the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
- Assemble the zucchini boats. Put a spoonful of tomatoes into each zucchini boat. I always start with one spoonful each then go back and distribute the rest evenly. Pour a couple of glugs of olive oil into the baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. (see note below if your zucchini are small).
- While the zucchini is cooking you can shred your fresh parmesan cheese. If you want to use shredded mozzarella that works too!
- Remove the zucchini from the oven after it's baked for 35-40 minutes and add the parmesan cheese to the tops of all the zucchini boats. Place back in the oven for 3-5 minutes to let the cheese melt.
- While the cheese is melting you can chop your fresh basil. I always chop my basil at the last minute. If it’s left hanging around for too long it gets brown and black marks on it. Still edible and delicious, but I’d rather chop it right before serving so the green really stands out.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh shredded basil and serve immediately. Great for a side dish with chicken, pork, fish, or steak.
Notes
- My zucchinis were huge. If you’re using smaller zucchini, I would say to adjust the cooking time a bit. Instead of 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees – maybe check them at 20-25 minutes to see if they’re done. I do like my zucchini al dente. If you like it cooked more, adjust the cooking time to your preference.
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