grilled zucchini and portobellos with mustard and herbs
For a moment there I was wondering if someone was trying to tell me not to post a new recipe this week. For starters, my camera and laptop got run over by a car last Sunday. Amazingly, nothing was damaged. Thank you padded Canon bag! And thank goodness it was a small car.
Then I left my tripod at my Mom’s by mistake, which resulted in a lot of pictures that look like this. Pretty good, but just a touch blurry on closer inspection.
Then my digital scale died. I’m not that broken up about that development because it was becoming increasingly unreliable. So I had been wanting a new one. Though the timing is a little unfortunate because I am in the heat of developing recipes for a recipe feature for EatingWell.
So yesterday after driving 40 minutes round trip to drop my kids off at Jungle Safari camp (insert playful big cat Reawww! noise here) I realized that my scale was dead, and I had just been right next to the big box stores. Not wanting to drive another 40 minutes, I called my neighbors and ended up conducting an informal survey of digital scale usage of sorts. It turns out most of my neighbors (who weren’t screening my call and actually picked up) do have a kitchen scale, but only one had a digital scale. So the reason I’m telling you all this is that if you’re like my neighbors, maybe you should consider getting a digital scale. Not just so I can borrow it, there are many other reasons why. You don’t have to be a recipe developer to need one.
Like this recipe for example. Right now most of the zucchini we’re getting in Vermont is pretty small. But in a few weeks, they will be the size of the car that ran over my laptop. This recipe will work fine with larger zuchs, all you’ll have to do is weigh out two and a half pounds. Because it is early in the season, I used six smallish ones this time. Later this month two zucchini could equal two and a half pounds. What I’m saying is, a scale will help you figure out how many to use. It would also help for a recipe like this.
So if you’re already converted to the digital kitchen scale-loving world, I’d love to know what kind you have. I am heading out to buy one, so if you have a recommendation for a good brand of kitchen scale, leave me a comment below.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds zucchini, about 6 small to medium
- 1 ½ pounds portobello mushrooms, about 4 large
- ¼ cup brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium heat. Trim zucchini and slice lengthwise into long ½-inch thick slabs. Remove stems from mushrooms and gently scrape gills out with a spoon. Mix mustard, 1 tablespoon herbs, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper in a small dish. Brush mustard mixture all over mushrooms and zucchini slices. Grill until tender, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Slice portobellos and arrange on a platter with the zucchini. Sprinkle with additional herbs and drizzle with additional oil. Serve hot or at room temperature.
We’ve had the oxo for a couple years. It’s quick & reliable, and when we bother to clean it, it cleans up well. Meg weighs just about all her ingredients these days.
http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Stainless-Pull-Out-Display/dp/B000WJMTNA/
Thanks for talking about weighing ingredients. Ironically, i was just reading an Eating Well recipe, that cut fat calories in quacomole by adding “2 medium zucchini” or some description like that. when you have a garden, medium is a very relative term. Weight is so much more helpful!!
anyway, I weigh my ingredients if I’m given the info. I don’t have a digital scale. why is that better than analog?
I’m new to your blog, I like it already.
[quote name=Renee]Thanks for talking about weighing ingredients. Ironically, i was just reading an Eating Well recipe, that cut fat calories in quacomole by adding “2 medium zucchini” or some description like that. when you have a garden, medium is a very relative term. Weight is so much more helpful!!
anyway, I weigh my ingredients if I’m given the info. I don’t have a digital scale. why is that better than analog?
I’m new to your blog, I like it already.[/quote]Renee, Thanks for your comments. It is my understanding that digital scales are more precise and accurate. Here is a really helpful article on the topic. http://www.consumersearch.com/kitchen-scales I also loved reading this article from the NYTimes http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/dining/tipping-the-balance-for-kitchen-scales.html?pagewanted=all
Happy cooking and weighing!!
What sort of fresh herbs would you suggest with these?
[quote name=Rachel]What sort of fresh herbs would you suggest with these?[/quote]I would recommend woody herbs such as rosemary, thyme and oregano. I used a little lavender too. Enjoy!