A DIFFERENT RHYTHM

My kids and husband came back tonight after 3 days away. This was my first weekend at home by myself since before Dash was born almost 3 years ago. I slept in, did yoga, and had a martini. Or five.

On Sunday, I wandered through the farmers' market without children for the first time in years. I sat down on a bench and caught up with my lovely friend Julia. We chatted for over an hour. I'm so used to having aborted conversations that I kept interrupting myself and starting new topics.

We each bought a basket of baby zucchini because they look so damn cute. I've tried to take pictures at the market before and they've looked like crap because Dash NEVER STOPS MOVING. Julia is 29-years old and was able to sit very still. I was particularly excited by how her lipstick matched her sweet peas.

I should check with Julia and see what she did with her baby zucchini. I sliced mine in half and smeared them with leftover arugula microgreens and spinach pesto. I topped the dish with asparagus tips, bread crumbs, and cheese.

I don't have a picture of the cooked gratin because I took it out of the oven and ate most of it up—right out of the dish. I also ate 4 peaches right over the sink. That's what you do when no kids are around.

I love recipes with variations. Here are a few for this zucchini gratin.

1. Add pine nuts and slices of mozzarella.
2. Add fresh or frozen corn.
3. Add chopped fresh herbs like thyme, basil, oregano, or rosemary.
4. Make a sandwich. Spread both pieces of bread with pesto mayo (mix 1 part pesto + 1 part mayo). Layer pieces of zucchini and asparagus with hearts of romaine and chopped parsley.
5. Serve over pasta, couscous, or rice. Add more cheese and drizzle olive oil over the dish before serving. And you could even throw in some preserved lemons (I have a recipe coming soon for preserved lemons, but until then here's Yummy Supper's).

ASPARAGUS, BABY ZUCCHINI, AND PESTO GRATIN
printable recipe

No amounts necessary for this recipe. Just cook what you have.

baby zucchinis or small summer squash, trimmed and sliced in half
salt
pepper
pesto (store bought or homemade)

asparagus tips (save the rest for a soup)

bread crumbs

grated parmesan or pecorino

pine nuts

Grease a baking dish with butter or olive oil. Place sliced zucchini cut-side up. Spread pesto on each half. Distribute asparagus tips evenly on top. Generously season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs, grated cheese, and pine nuts. Bake 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are just tender and the top is crispy and brown. Serve immediately.