Roasted Zucchini with Feta, Olives & Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette

Roasted Zucchini with Feta, Olives & Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette

There are weeks where bits and pieces just pile up. The backseat of my car looks like a thrift shop with a food processor, a yogurt maker and a lampshade all destined for new owners. My desk is four inches deep in decor catalogs since we're looking to replace a few things in the living room. My fridge, well, don't ask. There are odds and ends of blog food, restaurant leftovers and impulse produce buys that are begging to be reinvented. And eaten. Goat cheese from a week ago, and roasted tomatoes we made here on Wednesday this week. Some small zucchini from down South where there already IS garden zucchini. 

Depending on what day you ask, leftovers from blogging recipes are either a curse or a blessing. They started out this morning as a curse because I literally could not find a box of blackberries in that fridge for all the other stuff piled up. Tonight they've become a blessing: a nice light dinner for me.

This isn’t really a salad, but could be served as an appetizer or salad course. To make it heartier, add some of the chick peas from Monday's blog post, or some slivered salami, even  cooked chicken if you don’t want to go vegetarian. It would still be still gluten free, assuming the meat you choose has no binders added.

Roasted Zucchini with Feta, Olives & Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette

For the zucchini:

4 medium-small zucchini

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup pitted Kalamata or oil-cured black olives halved or quartered

4 oz French goat feta, crumbled

For the Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette:

2/3 cup roasted tomatoes, with skins

2-3 roasted garlic cloves from the tomato recipe (see link)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2T homemade flavored white wine vinegar or plain white wine vinegar

2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. hot pimentón (hot smoked paprika)

Preheat the oven to 425°F and cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Trim the ends from the zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, cut each piece in half through the middle and then cut each quarter in half or thirds so you have about 3” zucchini spears. Place in a medium bowl, add the olive oil, and the salt and toss well, then arrange on the covered baking sheet skin side down. Roast for about 40 minutes until they are just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Zucchini ready to roast.

While the zucchini are cooking, in a mini processor or blender, combine all the dressing ingredients until smooth.

To assemble the dish, place about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette on the bottom of a small plate, arrange the zucchini on top, and sprinkle with the feta and olives.

Serves 4.