Zucchini + Prosciutto Caprese
Having a garden in the middle of New York City is one of my great joys in life.
Even with a newborn baby I was able to plant over 80 different vegetable, fruit, and flower plants this year.
It took me a bit longer than last year, and much of it was done in 30 minute intervals--interspersed with me running away to help the little lady put her pacifier back in her mouth.
It was a priority though, because I knew soon I would be reaping the benefits.
But as my cherry tomatoes are starting to ripen, and my eggplants and peppers are already being enjoyed, I find myself a little sad that I don't have any zucchini that are close to being ready to pick.
As much as I love zucchini, it is one vegetable that does not do well on my terrace.
The high winds that come along with terrace living break the zucchini plant leaves and you can go from beautiful plant to sad specimen in a matter of hours.
But this is zucchini season and zucchini WILL be enjoyed at my house.
So off to the farmers market I go, armed with a stroller for hauling zucchini (and a baby, too!), and when I return I can whip up simple and tasty dishes like this Zucchini + Prosciutto Caprese.
This recipe is kind of familiar, kind of new, and just perfect for the summertime.
Zucchini + Prosciutto Caprese
servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- ½ large zucchini, cut into eight ½-inch-thick slices
- 2 medium tomatoes, cut into eight ¼-inch-thick slices
- 8 slices prosciutto, very thin
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into eight ½-inch-thick slices
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
Directions:
- In a small bowl, mix together the oil, vinegar, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Then place the zucchini slices in a plastic food storage bag. Pour in the oil and vinegar mixture and let the zucchini marinate for at least 10 minutes.
- Heat a grill pan on medium-high heat; remove the zucchini from the food storage bag and grill each slice until it is tender—about 3 minutes per side, 6 minutes total—basting the slices with the marinade as they grill. Be sure to reserve at least 1 tablespoon of the marinade to pour over the salad at the end.
- Next, sprinkle the tomato slices with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Assemble the salad on a plate, layering the ingredients as follows: 1 grilled zucchini slice, 1 prosciutto slice, 1 mozzarella slice, and finally 1 tomato slice. Repeat this sequence until all of the slices have been used, then sprinkle the salad with the basil and mint, and drizzle the remaining marinade over the top.
Notes:
- Your package of mozzarella should indicate whether or not it’s salted; if your mozzarella is unsalted you will want to salt it with at least ¼ teaspoon of salt.
