Zucchini and Tomatoes

It seems fitting to start this off with zucchini - they're the first vegetable (even more so than sweet corn) that I can remember associating with a season. Every summer Saturday when I was little, my parents would drag me out of bed to the farmers' market in Minneapolis, which seemed huge and chaotic and very far away to my bleary-eyed little soul - we had to take the highway, and it wasn't the familiar one that went to my mom's work. We always came away with zucchini, tomatoes, and gladioluses (I remember my mom agonizing over which colors!).

This first recipe is not so much a recipe as a really good idea. As far as I know, my dad invented it to use the zucchini and tomatoes from the market, but I'm sure it's been invented by others. We creatively call it "Zucchini and Tomatoes" (hey, we're all scientists). It was such a given on summer Saturday nights that I have many memories associated with it, too (including the time someone left the plastic cutting board under the frying pan and just couldn't figure out what was that smell). In fact, it was only a few years ago, eating sauteéd zucchini that had been prepared by someone else's dad, that it occurred to me that zucchini could be cooked without tomatoes and sliced lengthwise instead of the round way.

It was good before my parents had heard of olive oil or parmesan that didn't come from a green can, but since I've been making it myself, I've experimented a little bit - adding fresh basil or whatever fresh herb you've got around seems to be good, as is adding little chunks of melty mozzarella.

Zucchini and Tomatoes



several small or 1-2 large zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
an onion, diced
olive oil
3-6 fresh, lovely tomatoes, roughly chopped
salt, pepper, freshly grated parmesan to taste

Sauté the onion in olive oil until it begins to soften, then add the zucchini and tomatoes. Stirring from time to time so nothing burns, cook until the tomatoes turn into a sauce but the zucchini are still green and not too mushy. Season to taste. Really, make this however you like it.