Eating seasonally: Zucchini, basil and goats cheese on toast

We are now in the full swing of autumn. The morning air is crisper and the sea temperature is definitely cooling down. In my constant struggle to cook according to the seasons, I have fallen upon my savour: Slow Food Sydney’s Seasonal Food Guide.  This guide lists the fruit, vegetables, seafood and meats in season for every month of the year which is so important to know and keep in touch with. The book was made for Slow Food Sydney and is in line with Slow Food’s philosophy of eating food that is produced in a clean way, where animals are treated ethically and farmers are rewarded fairly for their work. Here is an excerpt from the makers of the book: Peter Kenyon and John Newtown, regarding our relationship with food:

“Food lovers, we have a problem. We have lost connection with our food supply.  There are people out there who believe they can eat cherries in August because they’re in the supermarkets, when actually they are flown in from California. These people get confused when it is pointed out to them that apples are seasonal …. Sadly, when you walk into a supermarket, you leave behind any sense of the season, place and origin of your food …. And they’re taking over. Two supermarket chains control up to 80% of the Australian grocery trade – that’s up from 30% in 1975. Does this matter? Yes, more and more, for several reasons.”

If you are interested in buying a copy, it is only $10 and you can buy it from participating stores or contact info@slowfoodsydney.com.au.

This brings me to zucchinis which have been in season since summer and are really the most wonderful vegetable. I normally try to have them in the fridge just because they are a great addition to a meal but I have never thought of making them the centrepiece of a dish. So, when I came across Nigel Slater’s simple ‘zucchini with goat’s cheese on toast’ recipe, I couldn’t go past it. If you are after a quick lunch or snack this autumn, enjoy this simple yet delicious dish.

Zucchini with goat’s cheese on toast
(Preparation time: 5 minutes, cooking time: 5 minutes)

Ingredients
1 lemon
8 basil leaves
4 tbsp olive oil
150g goat’s cheese
250g zucchinis
4 thick slices of good bread

Method
First, make the dressing. Grate the zest of half the lemon, then add the juice of the whole lemon. Finely shred the basil leaves and drop them in with the lemon and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add a little salt then crumble in the goat’s cheese in small pieces. Stir very gently.

Rinse the zucchinis and dry them. Using a vegetable peeler, slice them very thinly all the way down from one end to the other. Warm a little oil in a frying pan and let the zucchini slices cook until golden. Drop into the bowl with the dressing in. Toss gently.

Make toast with the slices of bread, then pile on the zucchinis and their dressing. Enjoy!

Tagged as: autumn food, bread, seasonal food, slow food, vegetarian, zucchini