zucchini, again?!

that's the edited exclamatory remark i've been getting from my other half when it comes to meal times. i can't help it - the drive to utilize the remarkably large zucchini in the garden - it's like a personal challenge for how creative one can get with squash.

to date, we've grilled it in sandwiches a couple of times. tossed it and other grilled veggies in quinoa. turned it into dessert through the magic of zucchini-chocolate chip cookies. last night we experimented once again. a dinner of pasta w/homemade pesto (herbs courtesy of the lopez farmers market) and what i'm calling a cross between lasagna and eggplant parm.

inspired by another jamie oliver recipe, i layered grilled zucchini slices (uniformly made with help from a newly purchased mandolin - i can see myself using this tool quite a bit!) with some quickly homemade sauce, ricotta and pecorino romano. then topped it off with a generous amount of fresh breadcrumbs and a little more cheese.

after a few minutes under the broiler, we determined it to be an excellent use of this excessive vegetable. the end product was a nice partner to the pesto pasta. is this the last you'll see of squash? unlikely. we may test out a zucchini bread recipe tonight...stay tuned.