1cupoil-cured Italian pitted black olives (approximately 1 jar, we like Pastene)
3/4cupgood quality extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/2cupgrape tomatoes
1/4cupcapers drained
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4cup grated Romano cheese
12 mint leaves, left whole
Italian bread, for serving
Instructions
Preheat grill to a medium heat.
Cut the stem off the top of each zucchini, then slice into ¼ inch slices lengthwise. Lay each slice out on a sheet pan in a single layer.
In a mini food processor, place 24 pitted olives (about ¼ cup), ½ cup of olive oil, celery seed, celery salt, red pepper flakes, oregano and vinegar. Process the mixture until an oily paste forms.
Spread the mixture on both sides of the squash, reserving about 1/4 cup.
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining olives with the tomatoes, the drained capers, ¼ cup of olive oil, and the black pepper and set aside.
Grill zucchini one to two minutes on each side until they have nice grill marks and are just slightly cooked. (Try not to overcook.)
Place cooked zucchini on a platter (curling and twisting the squash) then spread the grape tomato mixture over the top.
Finally, top with the reserved 1/4 cup of the olive paste, Romano cheese and the mint and serve with nice crusty Italian bread.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Notes
Feel free to cut back on the amount of olive oil used in this dish if you prefer. Jack remembers eating this dish growing up prepared as we did here, and he would dip the Italian bread in the oil that collected at the bottom of the platter. (Delicious!)