Ingredients:
- 1 cup packed wild arugula
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- ½ cup loosely packed Italian parsley
- 1 medium garlic clove peeled
- ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and cracked pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil for pesto and 3 to 5 extra tablespoons of olive oil for brushing zucchini and bread.
- 3 medium zucchini, cut into ¼" slices lengthwise. Place them in a baking sheet side by side
- 8 slices of seven grain bread or sourdough bread
- 8 slices of gruyère cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- garlic powder for sprinkling
- kosher salt for sprinkling
- half of a fresh lemon
Tips:
1. Use a food processor to get the right consistency for the pesto. It shouldn't be too thick or too runny. The greens should be finely chopped, not puréed.
2. When storing pesto in the refrigerator, make sure to add more olive oil to cover the pesto by ¼ to ½ inch to create an air tight seal over the chopped greens. This will protect it from going bad and growing mold. Garlic is a living organism and will grow mold after a few days. 3. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for 2 to 3 days tops.
Directions:
- In a food processor, add the arugula, basil, parsley, and garlic clove.
- Add ½ cup of olive oil and process until finely chopped.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Save the remaining olive oil and set aside.
- Brush the zucchini slices on both sides with the olive oil and season with dried oregano, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
- Grill over high heat for 2 minutes on one side or until you start to get grill marks. Turn to grill the other side for 2 more minutes. Remove from grill pan and place in a dish. Squeeze the lemon juice over top of zucchini and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.
- Grill the bread cut side down just until soft, about 30 seconds. Spread the olive oil on bottom and top of bread using a pastry brush. Spread the bread with pesto on both cut sides.
- Layer on top of bread one slice of gruyère cheese, add grilled zucchini.
Get additional recipes from Cristina at
www.cristinaferrarecooks.com.
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