MEDITERRANEAN ZUCCHINI BOATS

This time of year always means lots and lots of tasty, home grown vegetables, and many of us have an abundance of zucchini that we may not know quite what to do with. This recipe is a side dish that I saw in a Whole Foods while I was working on GOOD FOOD in 2009, and I simply had to include it in the book. The finished product is delicious hot or cold. It probably won't last long enough for you to taste it cold.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 zucchini, approximately 8 – 10 inches long

2/3 – 3/4 cups grape tomatoes, lightly diced

1/3 to 1/2 cups Greek Feta cheese

1/4 cup pitted black olives, lightly diced

1/4 cup pepita seeds or raw pine nuts (optional)

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

A drizzle of olive oil (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1) Cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise,

and scrape out the seeds with a

teaspoon, forming a “ditch” for the other ingredients.

2) Cut a slim length of the skin on the bottom of the zucchini, so it will sit steadily on the plate.

3) Combine all the other ingredients and distribute them evenly into the four zucchini halves.

4) Bake until zucchini is just cooked, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

5) You may want to drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the finished product.