Zucchini with Sun Dried Tomatoes

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"Human beings, vegetables, or comic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player."
-Albert Einstein, Physicist

The refrigerator light goes on...

This goes well with almost any dish, but especially a steak or roasted pork main course. The zucchini is simple to prep. Cut the stem end off and make three slices lengthways so you have 4 slices. Stack two slices and cut lengthways three times again. Do this with all four slices and then cut crossways for a large dice.

Special Diet Information

Coumadin® (Warfarin)
This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users.

Lactose
This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.

Sodium
This is NOT a low sodium recipe.

GERD / Acid Reflux
No specific GERD triggers.

Squash

There are so many different kinds of squash it's almost like having to take a high school biology test. I know them all because growing up I was one of those weird kids that actually liked squash.

The squash in this recipe is shaped like a big green acorn. As the squash ages the skin turns a mottled orange yellow color so choose those that are more green than yellow. It should be firm with no dark or gray spots and tapping it should result in a sound that is hollow not dull. This recipe is a variation of one that I had growing up – my dad loved acorn squash cooked this way.

Yellow squash (what I called summer squash growing up) is one of my favorites. I love the soups made with it (see Spring Bisque) and the roasted parmesan squash but my favorite is simply sliced into rounds and steamed. Look for medium sized squash no more than about eight inches long. Larger ones are tougher and dry. The skin should be unblemished.

I love zucchini too. In fact, the vegetables I served on opening night in my restaurant were slices of yellow squash and zucchini steamed with a little bit of marjoram butter. I had one diner who came to the kitchen to ask how this was prepared. When I told him that the vegetables were simply steamed he wouldn't believe me and insisted that we had used white wine or some other secret ingredient. The rules for choosing zukes are the same as with yellow squash – small to medium size and unblemished skin.

There are dozens of other types of squash (hopefully I can cover them in the next book) but one that I love is the pattypan or scallop squash. You may have seen these in the market. The yellow ones look like small flattened summer squash and the green ones like little zucchinis. They are great steamed and served as a side dish. Because they are small they are sweet and tender. Just a bit of herbed butter and you're good to go.