More than a Recipe, a Memory

Well two weeks has passed and I still haven’t had a BLT. Maybe with the next box, which will be delivered tomorrow and promises more tomatoes. I went grocery shopping Friday and didn’t buy any bacon, so I’m starting to think that a BLT isn’t really that high on my list of priorities.

Instead of a BLT I used my tomatoes this delivery for zucchini casserole, an old favorite of mine. This was part of my mom’s regular rotation of meals, and was always a bright spot.

The recipe is simple. You only need a few ingredients: ground beef, tomatoes, zucchini, onions and Parmesan cheese, the grated kind that comes from the plastic container. The recipe is simple: brown and drain the beef, layer it, along with sliced zucchini, tomatoes and onion and top with a thick layer of cheese.

Cook it in the oven, at around 350 degrees or so, until the zucchini is so tender it is translucent and stringy and the cheese has melted into a yummy, gooey consistency. By this time your kitchen will smell heavenly and you won’t be able to wait to eat it. At least that’s my experience.

This week when I made it, I didn't have the full time to wait for the vegetables to cook in the oven, so I cheated a bit. I sauteed the zucchini and onion before putting the casserole in the oven to cut down on cooking time. I've also made it in the microwave, but always finish it in the oven because the melted cheese is the best part.

I realize this recipe doesn't sound like much, but for me it's comfort food. When I eat it, my worries seem to fall to the floor bite by bite. It's just like when I was a kid and the only thing I had to worry about was getting to the table in time for dinner.