Pictured is a mini-version of the Torte
It’s a quiet twilight after an afternoon of harvesting from the garden. Sitting on the deck of my house in Hollywood Beach, MD. I listen to the drone of a plane overhead on its way to Philadelphia. As dusk settles, birds sing a final song before saying goodnight. The sun drops lower and lower on the Elk River, casting an ever widening afterglow.
In my yard, fireflies start to flicker, low to the ground, at first just twinkling dots here and there, then a cloud of bursting brilliance. Their bright yellow light flashes against darkening surfaces then disappears. One flies so close that its wings brush against my cheek.
It takes me back to childhood evenings when my brother, sister and I danced around impatiently in the back yard, anxiously waiting to trap fireflies in quart jars. We chased them and immediately slammed down the jar’s lid when they flew inside. Their light seemed bright as a flashlight when they blinked on and off. We shook the jars to keep them going but after a while we grew tired of the game and released our captives.
This night I am content to watch. I notice their angular bodies, the twitch of their minute feelers, the way the golden glow emanates from their tails, pulsing then fading away. Itching to get closer, I wander into the yard and settle down crosslegged on the grass. Silent, I hope my quiet pose will invite them to visit for a second. One alights, his wings whirring silently, and crawls up my shirt.
Blink, blink, blink. Fleetingly there is a brigade of them hovering around me, their bright lights illuminating even the shrubbery in the deepest corner of the yard.
Only for that moment at dusk. Then they are gone. All dark.
Thankfully, I finished my garden harvesting that afternoon and the next day I prepared to make some dishes from my produce. My 12 zucchini plants have been delivering lots of fruit. So the recipe I would like to share today features zucchini as the main ingredient. Enjoy!
Zucchini Torte
1 medium zucchini. Reserve and broil 7 slices cut crosswise and chop the rest
1 bunch spring onions or scallions, diced
2 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
2 cups flour
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
½ cup olive oil
1 cup sour cream
5 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half and broiled
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Saute onions in the 2 tbs olive oil till softened. Remove from pan and add the chopped zucchini. Saute 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Add the sliced tomatoes and sautee till just browned..
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Add zucchini and onions to wet ingredients and stir. Add the dry ingredients and stir till just combined.
Pour mixture into a large pie plate. Top with zucchini slices and tomatoes.
Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
