This grilled zucchini stack with fresh ricotta and green tomatoes is perfect for summer.
A few weeks ago I was walking up and down the cheese display at the Whole Foods local equivalent grocery store near me mesmerized by all the choices.
Instead of the typical 3 or 4 dairy aisle big brands, there were literally hundreds of choices in front of me.
So of course I ended up picking what I know instead of trying something new like a big girl.
Ricotta.
Now it’s not that I haven’t had fresh ricotta before, I definitely have. It’s one of the best parts of any cannoli recipe.
But I have never bought it, brought it home and had it at my disposal for a few days.
Guys…it’s like creamy candy.
The addiction sets in fast.
Before you know it you’re on your 3rd bowl of the day with honey and fresh fruit and that’s after you’ve already taken a spoonful every time you open the fridge.
It’s the new nut butter.
When I ran out after the first purchase, I walked over to the “big brand” ricottas in the normal grocery store ready to throw a whole milk ricotta into the cart until I turned the container around and read the label.
Guar gum? Carrageenan? Xanthan gum? REALLY?!
Maybe that’s why that stuff doesn’t even compare to the creamy deliciousness of the fresh stuff.
Minus 10 more points for conventional grocery store crap.
Current score: -5000000
So off to the Whole Foods-esque store I went to get more of my fix and I haven’t been without it since.
I haven’t really used it much outside of breakfast and snacking, but this time I wanted to highlight it’s freshness in a side dish.
Zucchini are grilled, green tomatoes are sliced, roasted corn is sprinkled about and a balsamic drizzle is poured on top.
All with huge dollops of creamy, fresh ricotta in between.
It’s seriously bliss with every bite.
You could just as easily make this with the adorable round zucchini that appears in markets towards the end of summer as opposed to the regular oblong shaped I’ve used here. They taste the same, their shape is just much cuter!
If you choose to freeze zucchini, you can even make this recipe in the dead of winter and it’ll taste like the fresh, in-season produce of summer.
Grilled Zucchini Stack
Ingredients
- 1 large green zucchini, cut in half and sliced into strips thick enough to hold up on a grill.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 green tomato, sliced
- 1 cup fresh ricotta
- 1/4 cup grilled corn kernels
- balsamic vinegar
- basil
Instructions
- Brush zucchini strips with olive oil and cook on a grill or grill pan for about 3-5 minutes per side (depends on thickness of strips) until they are cooked with grill marks but still retain their form.
- Remove zucchini and set aside.
- Assemble stacks by placing zucchini slice then a tomato slice, then a dollop of ricotta. Repeat 4 or 5 times per stack.
- Sprinkle with roasted corn, drizzle with balsamic and garnish with basil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
So beautiful and fresh. I love this idea to stack ricotta up between layers of seasonal vegetables. I was on a major ricotta kick a while back. This post may inspire another one.
Love the photography, love the recipe, love the GIF – oh my, I love it all.
Not usually a fan or zucchini, but I’m sure an eggplant substitute with ricotta would easily compromise.
YUmm, sounds delicious, I just picked green tomatoes and was looking for something to do with them- thank you!!
I know what I’ll be making for lunch! Seriously – we have ricotta and zucchini up the wa-zoo :)
I recognize the ricotta container and it’s delicious. What type of balsamic did you use. That looks like a unique vessel. Love the video!
it was a sample of balsamic glaze I got from somewhere, I honestly can’t remember when/where! It’s just a little vial. The glaze is a bit thicker than normal balsamic, I’m assuming it’s just reduced b/c it’s a tad sweeter than usual :)
Holy Cow that looks so delicious :) The gif definitely made me want it even more!
Perhaps I will try that with the tofu ricotta I made! Hope the zucchini is showing up at the farmers market tomorrow!