The Absolute Best Way To Cut Zucchini For Grilling

One day, you wake up and it's summer — which means it's time to break out the grill and warm up your flipping wrist. But aside from the burgers, brats, and other meats usually found rotating on the grill, summer BBQ season also coincides with the peak season for a wide array of vastly underrated produce. While not every one of these fruits and vegetables belongs on the grill, many seasonal veggies are perfect for grilling, with zucchini and other summer squash being a prime contender for grate space. Just as long as you cut it lengthwise.

Most people's first inclination is to cut zucchini horizontally. When cut this way, you end up with a lot of small, circular pieces that may work great baked in the oven or in a pan on the stovetop, but don't necessarily hold up well on the grill — they're just a bit small. Not only are the little pieces prone to falling through the grates, they also lack the surface area necessary to developing those nicely charred and satisfying grate marks. So the best way to cut your zucchini for grilling is the opposite direction. 

Cut your produce into quarter-inch-thick pieces lengthwise, to end up with large planks of zucchini with enough surface area to get a good char, and which can be easily flipped without worry of falling through. Dressed with olive oil, and seasoned to taste, your peak-season, grilled zucchini will pair well with just about anything.

Given zucchini is in season during the summer months, it really doesn't require much effort on your part to taste good — just make sure you're reaching for smaller-sized zucchinis at the store, as they'll be the least bitter. After cutting them correctly and drizzling them with olive oil, a good place to start is giving the planks a hit of salt and pepper on both sides. They really don't need much more than that, but you could play around with other seasonings such as garlic or cumin. Don't go too overboard, though. You want its natural, peak-season flavors to shine.

Once nicely charred on both sides, some people like to hit the zucchini planks with an extra pinch of salt and fresh lemon juice. You could also sprinkle the zucchini with fresh herbs as garnish. Serve the zucchini with anything. When cut and grilled right, this summer squash tastes as good as a side on its own as it does when added to sandwiches or sliced into pasta salads. One idea is to fold the planks and spear them through kebab sticks, which you can then layer with other peak season vegetables and fruits, cheese, chicken, or tofu. Just don't forget to offer a fresh chimichurri, pesto, or other sauce to dip them into if you do.