Grilled Zucchini Salad with Mediterranean Dressing

March. Year seven ends. The year that broke me and rebuilt me. The year of Marc. The year of grief and cooking and the discovery that grief deepens food the way fire deepens flavor — not by addition but by transformation. I am not the cook I was before Marc died. I am a cook who carries loss in his hands, and the loss makes the food mean more, and meaning is the difference between food and cooking, between a meal and a memory.

When year seven finally closed, I needed to cook something that understood fire — not the comfort of an oven, not the gentleness of a simmer, but an open flame that chars and softens and changes things at the same time. Grilled zucchini is quiet food, honest food, and the Mediterranean dressing cuts right through with brightness I didn’t know I needed. Marc would have eaten this standing at the counter before I could even plate it, and somehow that made it feel like the right place to end up.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, torn
Mediterranean Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat until hot, about 5 minutes.
Prep the zucchini. Brush the zucchini planks on both sides with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season evenly with salt and pepper.
Grill. Place zucchini on the grill in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes per side, until distinct grill marks form and the flesh is tender but not mushy. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Make the dressing. Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and dried oregano in a small bowl until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the salad. Arrange the grilled zucchini on a serving platter. Scatter the cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and feta over the top.
Dress and finish. Drizzle the Mediterranean dressing over the salad. Garnish with chopped parsley and torn mint. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Mediterranean Dressing — What Fire Does to the Things We Carry