T he Cu l i nary North On the Table
DINING IN
DUE RESPECT by STACEY BRUGEMAN
This August, don’t relegate zucchini to your box grater. Celebrate it instead.
Z
ucchini is one of those garden offerings that doesn’t get the love it deserves. All too often, we talk about burying it in things, about keeping up with it by shaving it into breads and burgers. I was recently flipping through the section of my cookbook collection from Greece and was reminded that in Greek cookery zucchini isn’t just a featured ingredient, it’s often the headliner. A recipe spotlighting the young fruit of this trailing garden plant even dons the cover of one particularly celebrated Greek title. There’s a reason. Summer squash works especially well with hotweather herbs, like fresh oregano, basil and mint. It benefits from the acidic nature of sour Greek cheeses, such as xynomyzithra or anthotyro. For those of us who don’t live within striking distance of Detroit’s Greektown, combining easy-to-find (and easier to pronounce) cheese like feta, a good Parmesan Reggiano and whole-milk ricotta works just as well. This August, as the invites to all those patio parties keep rolling in—you know, the girls’ night that your crew has been talking about all summer, that tennis mixer, the new-cottage open house—don’t bury the lede, as we say in journalism. Celebrate it by making these elegant handheld bites as your dish to pass.
Stacey Brugeman is a 20-year food and beverage journalist. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Saveur, Travel + Leisure, Eater and on Instagram @staceybrugeman. Dave Weidner is an editorial photographer and videographer based in Northern Michigan. Follow him on Instagram and Facebook @dzwphoto. Sarah Peschel, @22speschel, is a stylist and photographer with an appreciation for all things local agriculture, food and drink.
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