I’ve made a lot of discoveries since our arrival in southern France, especially when it comes to fresh produce. As luck would have it, we live in a small town in the backcountry of Cannes and Antibes, where we have some great vegetable growers. At the moment, we are seeing some of the best zucchini varieties I have ever tasted: the Trombetta courgette. Also called courgette “trompette” or “Nicoise” here on the French Riviera where it abounds, it is the jewel of the region. Practically seedless, it is very delicately flavored and not watery like its traditional counterpart. It lends itself well to all sorts of preparations. When they are older, Trombetta courgettes tend to be very big – squash like – and are best used in stews or zoodles. When they are younger and smaller – just around the time their beautiful flowers blossom – they are wonderful raw (sliced thin as a carpaccio or into small cubes like this tartare) or lightly steamed, like in this recipe. Our favorite way of serving them is like the locals do: generously drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with parmesan, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. The cheese gets mixed into the olive oil and produces a delightful texture that sticks well to veggies in general – and what is left over can be mopped up by your favorite bread.
These are the perfect side to grilled fish or seafood, but make a lot so you can serve them cold for the next day for a light summer lunch.
Tips: For this recipe, select courgettes that are about 10-15 cm long.
Ingredients (for 2)
- 6 medium trombetta courgettes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- a few tbsp freshly grated parmesan
- 2 pinches of sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Steam the zucchini for 10 minutes. I sometimes use my pressure cooker to do this, in which case I leave it to whistle for about 4 minutes.
- Carefully take out the zucchini and let them cool. When lukewarm, slice them lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
