Grilled Zucchini with Feta

Tender chunks of zucchini grilled and tossed with feta cheese for a simple side dish to accompany a variety of meals.

Let's talk about volunteering. I come from volunteers (my extended family calendar even had a theme one year about how we all volunteer). My daughter volunteers with the gardening program of the local historical society and my son volunteers at the library. My spouse volunteers at community clean ups and when someone is deployed. I volunteer on the base, at the school, and in the community.

Volunteering is a value for our family. It boosts our community and ourselves. 

In the garden, squash plants volunteer. They come from our compost. They come from Halloween pumpkins, nibbled by squirrels. They grow in the front yard flower bed, in landscaped areas of the back yard, and in the middle of the patio.

The thing about volunteers is that we need to feel valued. We need to feel our efforts are making a difference in the community, and we want validation for the work we have done.

I appreciate our volunteer zucchini, as well as that from the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share, because it lends itself to a variety of preparations.

This recipe is a simple one, as summer recipes should be. 

You need zucchini, cooking oil, salt and pepper, and feta cheese.

Grilled Zucchini with feta

Preheat the grill over high heat for 10 minutes, then scrape the grill grates with a brush to clean off any debris. Reduce heat to medium and if you have a grill plate to reduce the size of the holes it can be helpful but is not necessary.

Coat your zucchini with cooking oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Lay on grill, cover, and cook 2-3 minutes. Lift the cover and use tongs to roll the zucchini so that an untouched side is on the hot grates. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes. Repeat until all sides of the squash have had a chance on the grill. 

If you are using chunks of a larger squash, a preheated grill basket (like I used with the beans) works better. I stir the chunks around in the basket.

Remove from grill when tender, about 8-10 minutes, and transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough, slice into chunks. 

Toss with feta cheese, taste, and add additional salt and pepper if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers wonderful on a pizza.

For more recipes using zucchini on the grill, stove, or oven please see my Zucchini Recipes Collection, part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient. I've also got a Summer Squash Recipes Collection in case you've got a mixed bunch of summer squash and don't know what to do with it. I pin squash recipes of all seasons to my Squash Pinterest board, and share seasonal recipes and round ups from around the web on my FB page. For info on how to use this blog, click here.