As a result, here it is early June and I have a zucchini plant that is growing with wild abandon (amazing what a little water, sunshine, and organic fertilizer can do). The plant produces almost one zucchini a day and has been for about a month. Blessed with this new bounty, we now have a very good reason to try out new zucchini recipes, so be warned, you may be seeing more zukes on this site the summer than usual. (Have a favorite zucchini recipe? Please let us know in the comments.) This particular zucchini sauté recipe is a take-off of my mom’s stand-by summer squash recipe. Gruyere Swiss cheese adds a wonderful nutty sophistication to this simple dish. Gruyere is on the expensive side, but you don’t end up needing as much because the flavor is more concentrated. You can substitute another Swiss cheese if you like. We have fresh tarragon and basil growing in the garden, which is what I used, but you could also use dried, or even Herbes de Provence. The trick to keeping the zucchini from getting soggy and overcooked, is to sauté it quickly in a rather hot pan. When the pan is hot, add the zucchini and onions. Spread out along the bottom of the pan. Cook quickly on high heat, stirring frequently, until all zucchini pieces are a little browned at least on one side (about 2 minutes). Sprinkle with salt and pepper while cooking. Halfway through the cooking, add the garlic and the herbs. If there is any sticking to the pan, add a little more oil. Remove the zucchini to a serving dish. Serve immediately. Sautéed zucchini with spinach and basil pesto from Kalyn’s Kitchen Quick sauté of zucchini with almonds, from Deb of Smitten Kitchen
