Middle Eastern cooking is flecked with the cool pepperiness of fresh mint. Italian, and especially Sicilian, cooks include mint with zucchini, often in tandem with garlic and lemon. I find mint invigorating with all summer squashes and often make a dish where they (pattypan is particularly suitable) are cooked in olive oil with mint and the merest hint of garlic. It is very good with grilled fish.

　　

Ingredients

enough for 2

　　small zucchini – 14 ounces (400g)

　　garlic – 2 cloves

　　olive oil – 3 tablespoons

　　mint leaves – a good handful

　　flat-leaf parsley leaves – a small handful

　　the juice of half a lemon

　　

Step 1

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then into short lengths. If they are real babies, you could simply halve them.

　　

Step 2

Peel the garlic and coarsely chop it. Warm the olive oil in a shallow pan. Add the chopped garlic, let it fry for a minute over medium heat, then add the zucchini. Let them cook in the oil, turning them occasionally, until they are lightly golden and tender. Add the whole mint leaves and parsley leaves. Increase the heat, pour in the lemon juice, and let it bubble briefly. Crumble over a little sea salt.

　　Tender