Some olive oil and a bit of lemon dress up this veggie dish. But, the flavors of the zucchini and the feta come through as well, accented with the crunch of a few nuts and ribbons of fresh basil. This Charred Zucchini with Feta is a welcome addition to the summer recipe swap. Make it using fresh zucchini from the garden if you have it for an even better dish.

This wonderful dish can be made on the grill or in the oven and we give you directions for both below. For the oven you don’t need any special equipment, just some baking pans and parchment paper.

For the grill, you might want to cut your zucchini pieces a bit bigger just so there’s no chance of them escaping into the hot coals under the grate.

This recipe calls for 3 large or 5 small zucchini for the amount of toppings and dressing. You never can tell what will be waiting for you in the garden or in the store so that’s why there are two sizes listed. When I shopped for this recipe there were only small ones in the supermarket, so that’s what I had to work with. Though I personally think that the homegrown ones that have been left to get a bit larger have the most flavor.

I stuck with using some pine nuts for this recipe since they are a traditional to Italian recipes. With the garlic and the basil to me the pine nuts just fit in perfectly. But, you can use walnuts, almonds, or the nuts of your choice here. Bonus points for toasting them in the oven lightly first for more flavor.

This Charred Zucchini with Feta is wonderful on some toasted bread. Or serve it with some pasta. Or serve it as a side dish you your favorite summer bbq. It’s a taste of summertime in each bite!