Having been recently visited by the FP Garden Swap on Wheels, I was honored with a major zucchini haul. The last one of the bunch was about the size of my forearm. I get major anxiety if I don’t use my friends’ home grown goodies, so I needed to find a use for this giant gift from the garden ASAP.

A recent pool party was the perfect time to use it. Given that we have had a heat wave the past several weeks, I really wanted something cool, and something I could make ahead, but in general, I prefer my squash cooked. This is when the grill sent smoke signals my way… Of course, I would grill them, then marinate them.

I cut some larger rounds (about ¼ inch thick), and set them out on the grill. Half way through, I turned them to try to get a good hash mark on them. Then I flipped them and did the same on the other side. Once done, I smothered them with oil and vinegar and let the veg take a nice long, cool soak (much like the one I would be taking at that pool party). The result? A surprisingly good veg that retained some of its crispness.

How to be Neighborly: Share the wealth (of life).

So, here we shared a giant zucchini, grown by one neighbor, cooked by the next, and shared with another.  Here’s how you can share the wealth, too.

Cool Zucchini Coins

• 1 large, or 3 small zucchini, cut into ¼ inch rounds (*)
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (!)
• ¼ c fresh oregano, chopped finely
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Grill the zucchini rounds until they are charred, but not cooked through (they should not be mushy and should still hold their shape). When you pull them off the heat, layer them in a serving platter. While they are grilling, combine oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Once all the zucchini rounds are grilled and layered, pour the marinade over the zucchini and put in the refrigerator to cool for 1-2 hours.

Serve cool.

Serves about 4-5 people as a side dish.

(*) Cut them in rounds or diagonally so they will stay on the grill and not slide through the grates.

(!) Make sure this is really good flavorful vinegar. I used a blackberry ginger vinegar, but any good, sweet, vinegar will do. If you don’t like the flavor on its own, find another vinegar.