A couple weeks ago at the farmer's market my friend Anne (and fantastic chef of Brix in Napa Valley) made these wonderful Baked Pesto Zucchini Stacks and I loved them! The pesto really gives it a unique flavor. She served them with sauteed squash blossoms, which I did make last week just as a quick appetizer, but tonight I just did the stacks and what a great veggie side dish. Didn't Rich take a nice photo!!
Ok, been trying to get the CUESA link to the recipe to work, but "it's been removed?" so here's how I did it.
Zucchini Stacks serves 4
4 medium sized zucchini (I used 2 yellow, 2 green)
olive oil
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts
couple cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan (plus couple extra tablespoons for the stacks)
salt
Take a mandoline (if you have one) and carefully slice the zukes length-wise into thin strips - not paper thin, but pretty thin. On a parchment lined baking sheet, place the strips in a single layer and brush with a little olive oil; bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 min and let cool. Meanwhile make the pesto (this made plenty - so plan on a pesto pasta for tomorrow, just cover with an extra layer of olive oil). Put the basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and pulse while slowly adding the olive oil until its blended together, then add in the 1/2 cup parmesan. When the strips are cool enough place a little pesto on each slice and then a sprinkling of parmesan and re-stack them into their original shapes (as much as you can - mine were not perfect) then bake again for 10 min. Serve at room temp.
I can't tell in the photo. Are those bite size or do you have to cut them prior to eating them. Looks very good.
ReplyDeleteThey are bite sized, or maybe 2 bites... they were really good! Rich gets photo credit.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try this one - it looks awesome. xo
ReplyDeleteThey are so good, I'm making them again tonight with the lovely little blossoms too!
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