grilled scallops; zuchetta with tomato, jalapeño

scallops_trombocino_tomato_jalapeno

Note to self: The vegetable side dish may be difficult to recreate, since I’ve never before come across tromboncino (or zucchetta), but it was at least a terrific one-off, and a great companion to the excellent fresh scallops.  Keep a sharp eye out for this vegetable.

 

I really did splurge a bit, although unintentionally, in ordering twelve scallops for the two of us.  Eight would have been sufficient (a number which would have cost only about about $11.50 at today’s market price), but they made for a great meal, and I have to admit that there was very little else to accompany it, even if that very little else comprised a superb dish.

My preparation of the vegetables was an adaptation of this recipe, which I found on line while searching for information on the squash itself.  Tromboncino, or  zuchetta, goes by many names, but it is an heirloom form of zucchini, and it apparently originated in Liguria, making it, I thought, particularly suitable as an accompaniment to the seafood I had chosen for the meal.

  • ten sea scallops from Pura Vida Fisheries, washed, rinsed and dried very thoroughly, pan grilled, finished with a squeeze of lemon juice and drizzled with olive oil [the recipe, one of my favorites there, or anywhere else, is included in Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers’ ‘Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafe‘]
  • some very small and tender tromboncino, or  zuchetta, from Berried Treasures Farm, washed, dried, cut into small portions, sautéed in butter and oil over medium heat until they began to brown, turning/stirring occasionally, seasoned with salt and pepper before slivers of one jalapeño pepper from Berried Treasures Farm and one small quartered heirloom tomato and a handful of halved ‘Mountain Magic’ red cherry tomatoes, all from Norwich Meadows Farm, were added, the heat turned low and the contents of the pan simmered for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the zucchini was cooked to taste and the tomatoes had begun to form a sauce, the dish finished with chopped lovage from Keith’s Farm.  Cooking hint: I left the jalapeño as slivers, so they would be easy to spot and remove, once on the plates, should they have turned out to be hotter than expected.