Broiled Zucchini and Tomato

Broiled zucchini and tomato

A tale of two vegetables

Where do I start..... the zucchini idea came first, so here's that back story. A while back when I was on my zucchini recipe crusade, I experimented with a new method to roast and then broil smallish zucchini sliced in half lengthwise. It turned out well, so after actually measuring, timing\, and photographing things, I'm ready to share -- almost.

There is another tale to tell... a week or two after I did the zucchini, we made a short trip to Gainesville, FL for a work thing for my husband. On the last night were were there he went to a dinner with his coworkers and I took myself to Embers. an amazing restaurant that, according to my server, is an independent family operated establishment priding it self on

selecting and serving only the top 2% of U.S. beef, and unlike the high-end chain steakhouses, side dishes are included with the meal. Trust me, or just check out the menu, because these are not run-of-the-mill sides. We're getting closer to the tomato part of this story. Well almost, first, that petit filet was perfect! I opted for medium rare with no 'accompaniments'; the outside was charred and the inside just warm, and it wasn't salted to death. I opted to the asparagus Bearnaise and grilled beefsteak tomato. As a lover of bleu cheese, to order the tomato was a no-brainer and it inspired the recipe here. My husband is NOT a lover of bleu, so I changed it up a bit.

Since I prepared both the broiled zucchini and tomato recipes for the same meal, and because once plated, they have a nice red and green Christmassy to them I am sharing them in one post. I used 2 similar but different toppings, but keep in mind that either one will complement both vegetables -- I just geek out sometimes.

I was just cooking for the 2 of us, and I happen to have a really nice one,so I used the broil option on my toaster oven. This could easily be done on a parchment or silicone mat lined sheet pan in your oven.

THE RECIPE

For Tomato

8 half inch thick beefsteak tomato slices

Sea salt

Olive oil to drizzle in the pan

Sprinkle the salt on both sides of each tomato slice.

Set the slices on paper towels on a cutting board and cover with more paper towels

Give the tomatoes a gentle press and let them sit for a while while you prepare the other ingredients. This draws our some of the water and will result in a nicer, less soggy texture after broiling.

For Zucchini

3 small zucchinis with the ends trimmed off and cut in half lengthwise

Olive oil to drizzle in the pan

Sea salt

After the zucchini is cut, sprinkle a bit of sea salt (or table salt) on the cut side.

'Swish' the zucchini spears around in the pan to coat with some of the olive oil.

Turn the zucchini cut-side down.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

For the Tomato Topping

Smoked mozzarella slices to top each tomato slice.

1T garlic paste (or mashed fresh garlic)

1T basil paste (or minced fresh)

1T olive oil

A few grinds of pepper

1/4 t ONLY if using fresh basil and garlic (the pastes are seasoned with salt already)

3T panko bread crumbs

Combine the olive oil, basil, pepper and salt (if you're suing it) in a small bowl.

Add the panko and stir until combined

Pat the tomato slices dry and place in the 'oil-drizzled' pan

Top each slice with the cheese slices

Use your fingers to gently press the panko mixture on top of the cheese on each slice of tomato

Broil on high until the slices are sizzling and toppings are golden and crisp. (In my toaster oven it took about 8 minutes)

For the Zucchini Topping

4T melted butter

1/4 C grated Parmesan

1/4 C panko bread crumbs

A few grinds of pepper

Stir the butter, cheese, panko and pepper together until a pasty mix is formed.

Once zucchini is cool after baking, turn the spears to cut-side up

Use your fingers to gently divide and press the topping on to the spears.

Broil on high until he topping gets golden and crusty. (It was about 5 minutes for my oven)

Of course I forgot to take photos right out of the broiler. Just picture your holiday table with a platter of these set on a nice bed of greens with maybe a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

And, don't forget that either topping will work, or be a little creative and devise your own.