Nosh: Baked Zucchini Coins
Note: However much I tell you to make of this dish...double it. George and I used two medium-sized zucchini when we made this, and had only a teeny tiny little bit left over, which he ate all of the next day and I didn't get any and I'm still pouting about it because I wanted more. That is all. Time for business.Ahhhh, zucchini. It's one of those vegetables. It can be kind of bland, kind of squishy, is often overly-dunked in butter to the point of being slick. And it is everywhere, as it is force-grown year round (though it's best in summer...grilled, with some fresh herbs to finish, but I digress) so it almost becomes overlooked. Zucchini is that song you've heard a thousand times and aren't quite sick of, but meh, it's OK; it's that perfunctory sandwich you eat at your desk because you need to eat so you don't die. That's often how I feel about zucchini's contribution to the vegetable world.There are notable exceptions to zucchini's meh standing. Happily, this is one. As an added bonus, it's pretty easy. Slicing the zucchini is the hardest part. That and the waiting, because they do take about a half an hour or forty minutes to cook. Here's what you need:
- 2 (at least) zucchinis
- 1-2 Tablespoons your choice of flour (rice, AP, chickpea...whatever you prefer)
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon thyme (or herb/herbs of your choice*)
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper/Aleppo pepper, entirely optional
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Olive oil cooking spray
Preheat the oven at 350°. Spray baking sheets with cooking spray. Take zucchinis and slice them fairly thin; aim for slices that are about the width of a quarter (or a Euro, if you're more familiar with cash across the pond). If you let the slices sit and they start to weep (release the water in their cells), blot them. If they don't start to weep, carry on!Toss the veggies in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle them with thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. *Or, use whatever combination of herbs you'd like. Ground fennel and onion? Go for it. Herbes de Provence? Sounds yummy. Garlic powder and oregano? Molto bene! It's your kitchen, it's up to you. Toss the zucchini slices with the herbs, then add the flour (full disclosure: I used rice flour here) and toss again. You just want the flour to lightly adhere to the zucchini; in no way do you want a thick coating.
Lay the zucchini slices in a single layer on your oil-sprayed baking sheets. Redistribute any seasonings that stayed in the bottom of your mixing bowl, onto the zucchini, because who wants to waste anything that tastes good? Once this is done, spray the up-sides of the zucchini with cooking spray, so both sides of it have a nice, but light, oven-crisping-friendly layer of oil.
NOTE: Some of the slices you see before you are kind of thick. These will still be delicious, they just won't get super-crispy. I admit that crispy = even yummier, but you'll hardly suffer if you end up with some thicker slices.Put this in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until they're done, flipping the slices every ten minutes. You'll end up with an insanely addictive zucchini side dish that looks kind of like this.
We served these with herb and cheese grits and a green salad, and OMG yes, they were fan-fricking-tastic. George and I love us some grits but we couldn't decide which of the dishes were the star of the dinner show, which (if you're going to have problems) is a great problem to have. We could have doubled the amount of zucchini we made and not gotten sick of eating it; next time we make these coins, we'll make extra for sure. This is an easy, tasty, not-your-run-of-the-mill approach to a common and often sadly under-loved vegetable. Try this dish and let your love run deep.