2008 saw not only my usual terra-cotta pots of Striato d’Italia on the back steps but also a trailing variety known as Caserta, a pale fruit the color of mint ice cream, with darker stripes. The light-skinned varieties such as Clarion, Di Faenza, and the almost ivory Lebanese White Bush look particularly delicate and summery when sautéed in butter and olive oil with a handful of herbs thrown in at the last moment, the scent of late summer hitting you as you spoon over the pan juices. Perhaps that should be swoon. Squashes of every variety love a tomato. Occasionally you could argue they need it too. Late last summer, just as the beans were forming on the poles in the vegetable beds, I made a last-minute, rough-edged supper with little more than a few zucchini and a couple of tomatoes. It was done in fifteen minutes flat. There are many who would insist on skinning and seeding the tomatoes for this, but not only do I think it unnecessary here, it also means missing out on all their rich juices and scrunchy seeds.
Recipe information
Yield
enough for 4 as a side dish, 2 as a principal dish
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cut the zucchini into thick fingers. I think they work best about the size of thick, homemade French fries. Warm the oil in a deep pan and let the zucchini cook over medium heat for six to eight minutes or so, till they start to soften.
Step 2
Chop the tomatoes roughly and add to the zucchini with the torn-up basil leaves, salt, pepper, and a good squeeze of lemon. Stir, cover with a loose-fitting lid, and let simmer for ten to twelve minutes, until the zucchini are totally tender and the tomatoes have cooked down to a basil-scented saucy slush. The colors should be bright, the zucchini softly yielding but not browned. Sponge up the sunny-tasting juices with bread.
