I'm a Burg girl now....(and why I have 5lbs of okra in my fridge)

Hello fellow foodies. Thank you visiting my blog after a long summer hiatus. It was a busy one, but I am happy to say that since my last post, I have become an official Lynchburg, VA resident. This move has been a long time coming, and I am excited by the possibilities it brings to my life, my family, and my cooking.

When Geoff (husband) and I were looking for a place to live, we decided we wanted to be close to the downtown area. We were lucky enough to find a house in a beautiful historic district just a couple blocks from downtown restaurants, bars, and most importantly, the Lynchburg Community Market.

This means, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, I am merely 3 block from local produce - which is both awesome and potentially dangerous. For the 2-3 weeks we have been in our home, I have been obsessing over the summer produce, bringing home multiple tote bags overflowing with tomatoes, basil, fresh corn, okra, parsley, dill, summer squash and zucchini. Because it is late in the season, I feel this irrational sense of urgency to scoop up everything I can before it is too late - nevermind my budget or carrying capacity. Sure, I may drop most of my grocery money in one morning, and it may take me half an hour to haul my vegetables three blocks, but summer is almost over, and I am going to soak up every last bite!

This past trip, I came across some tiny young zucchini and squash. I have cooked baby zuchhini before with the blossoms attached, and I remembered them being so sweet and tender that they needed very little else to create a delicious summer side dish. When I cooked the blossoms, I stuffed them with goat cheese and herbs, so I decided to use these baby squashed to make a deconstructed version of that dish.



This Young Zuchhini With Chevre & Basil is so simple, yet it tastes of summer in the way I want all my dinners to taste in August. Fresh. Herby. Light. Sweet. Serve with fish or meat from the grill, corn on the cob, and a tomato salad for a truly summerific spread. Enjoy.

YOUNG ZUCCHINI W/CHEVRE & BASIL
Ingredients
1lb young zucchini/squash
olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
2 oz crumbled goat cheese*
handful fresh basil

Instructions 
1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Chiffonade the basil by stacking the leaves, rolling them tightly and then slicing thin with a sharp knife to get little ribbons.



3. Remove stems from zucchini, slice in half lengthwise (and again for larger ones). Toss in good amount of olive oil and spread onto large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.



4. Broil for 7-10 minutes until edges are brown.
 

5. Transfer to a serving dish, top with crumbled goat cheese and basil and drizzle with additional olive oil. Devour.

 

*A note about goat cheese. When I say "crumbled" I do not necessarily mean that you should buy it that way. Although store-bought crumbled goat cheese exists, it is usually incredibly over-priced. Next time you shop, compare the prices between the block or roll of goat cheese and the crumbled variety by looking at the ounces. Chances are, you will pay the same amount for 8oz of solid cheese as you will 4oz of crumbled. So buy the regular kind, and crumble it with your hands. It's an expensive ingredient, so don't get tricked my packaging. Or just buy local and you won't have a problem. :)