The Ultimate Summer Side: Grilled Summer Squash with Pesto

Zucchini is a prolific summer staple, and there is no better way to enjoy its natural sweetness than by adding a light char on the grill. This Grilled Summer Squash with Pesto celebrates the peak of the growing season, transforming a simple harvest into a gourmet meal. When you grow your own zucchini and herbs using a Seasonal Garden Kit, you are consuming produce at its most nutrient-dense state.

This Grilled Summer Squash with Pesto is perfect for a vegetarian main or a fresh first course when paired with mozzarella. By using ingredients from The Pesto Garden Kit and following our Garden to Grill philosophy, you ensure that every bite of your Grilled Summer Squash with Pesto is bursting with "living" garden flavor.

Ingredients:

Pesto Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled 
• 2 cups packed fresh basil or leafy herbs½ cup best quality olive oil
• ¼ cup nuts: pine nuts, walnuts, almonds or pistachios (toasted lightly if you like)
• 1 Tbls. fresh lemon juice or 1 pinch (⅛ tsp.) Vitamin C powder
• ½ cup *grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

1. Plan on one zucchini for one to two people.
2. Rinse zucchini well and trim the stem end leaving some of the stem if possible.
3. Carefully slice the zucchini down the center so that each side includes one half of the stem.
4. Just before grilling, sprinkle lightly with salt. Place cut side down on a well seasoned grill and cook until nicely charred.
5. Remove to a dish placing the zucchini charred side up. Cover with a bowl or a piece of parchment paper and then aluminum foil. The zucchini will continue to cook slightly. 
6. Serve drizzled with pesto.