Recently, I was contacted by a Malibu family that is looking to hire a private chef.  They asked if I’d be available to come to their home and cook for them; an “audition” of sorts.

 

Although this request may not be made of you, it got me thinking: What do you cook for people whom you really don’t know?  How do you ensure that the dishes are vibrant and appealing?  These are questions we often ask ourselves when we’re having someone new to our homes, attending a potluck, or simply looking to add some variety to our everyday meal planning.

 

Ever notice how sometimes, the simplest answer is simultaneously the best answer?  That notion may never be more accurate than when you’re cooking.  Ingredients that are fresh and in season will always taste better than those that are not.  Period.

 

 

Labor Day, the unofficial “end of summer”, may only a week away, but the stalls at the farmer’s market are still overflowing with peppers, eggplants, green beans, ears of corn and summer squash.  Remember, when you begin with fresh, high-quality ingredients, it’s infinitely more likely that your finished dish will be equally high-quality.

 

As beautiful as the eggplants and peppers are, it won’t be long before the winter squash brigade begins creeping in.  In a way, I’m looking forward to using my oven again; I miss roasting.  Autumn is when I many people return to cooking, so the posting of the fall catalog is welcome news.

 

Besides seasonal favorites like Holiday Sides and Autumn Pies, several different ethnic classes are on the schedule.  Jet Tila is back and will be teaching both Chinese Dumplings and Asian Grilling & Chilling.  If that’s not enough, award-winning cookbook author Neelam Batra will be inspiring us with  Winter Curries  and California Masala, a afternoon where we’ll make our own masala mixes and use them to flavor traditional “California Cuisine”.

 

As usual, I digress.  Amongst other seasonally appropriate vegetable dishes, I prepared this grilled zucchini salad with hazelnuts and Parmesan.  It comes together in about 15 minutes, and that includes time to heat the grill pan.  As pretty as it is, it would have been even more visually appealing had I used a combination of zucchini and yellow squash, but I can keep that in mind for next time.

 

 

Grilled Zucchini with Hazelnuts and Parmesan

Serves 4 as a side dish

 

1/3 cup hazelnuts

1 3/4 lbs zucchini

4 T olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 1/4 cups small basil leaves

3 oz Parmesan, broken into small pieces or shaved using a vegetable peeler

2 tsp hazelnut oil (optional, but worthwhile)

 

Preheat the oven to 300.  Scatter the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and rub between the layers of a doubled dish towel to remove the skins.   Allow to cool slightly, then roughly chop and set aside.

 

Heat a ridged grill pan (or outdoor grill) until very hot; about 5 minutes.

 

Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut them on a sharp angle into 1/2″ thick slices.  Place them in a bowl and toss with half of the olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Place the slices on the hot grill pan and char-grill for about 2 minutes on each side.  It’s important to allow the vegetables enough time on the grill pan to get the distinct marks, but not so long as to cook them through.

 

Transfer the slices to a mixing bowl, drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, toss and set aside.

 

Once the zucchini is cool, add the remaining olive oil, the basil and hazelnuts.  Mix lightly, then taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if necessary.  Transfer to a serving platter, top with Parmesan and drizzle with hazelnut oil.

 

I hope you enjoy this as much as the family in Malibu did, and I look forward to seeing you in the kitchen!

 

Cindi

 

p.s…..Yes, I got the job.