Sister Act: Zucchini Sticks and Parmesan

Well, it is no secret by now that zucchinis are a staple ingredient in this household- pretty much any sauce, sautée or soup should state 'contains ample amounts of zucchini traces'. They are affordable, can be bought fresh all year long (which is a massively important detail with winters as cold as ours) and their taste is mild, which makes it perfect to complement just about any ingredient without overpowering the dish's main flavours.

This reminds me that when we lived by the sea in Gaspé, my father used to grow them and he once took this wonderful shot of me (aged 2,3?) holding one basically as long as my own body! I was so excited to pose with it and, well, it was the beginning of everything. You know how investigators go back in a serial killer's childhood to dig for evidence, the foreshadowing moments explaining away the cause for everything bad they ever did? The 'what made him do this, how did it start?' well, this picture of me holding a zucchini at age 2 is my 'what and how'- the beginning of a long love story between a young woman and her greens. Sorry for the creepy comparison, but how compelling of a point! Okay. Onto baked Parmesan zucchini sticks.

Side note, it makes me a little sad to think that I used to live right by the ocean and now it is so far away, but let's be honest, small, remote villages by the sea are what Stephen King novels are made of. I think I would've been a great mystery novelist in some cabin off a small bay but that is a story for some other time. Also, with the advent of technology you could live just about anywhere and still feel connected in some way (if you so desired), isn't that a nice thought?

You will need,

Zucchinis (I only prepared 1, but I multiplied the quantities for a serving of 4)

Parmesan (1/2 cup)

Thyme (1/2 tbsp)

Oregano (1/2 tbsp)

Basil (1/2 tbsp)

Garlic powder (1/4 powder)

* These quantities are from Damn Delicious blog, I didn't end up using the dried herbs as my stack wasn't fresh but it is the go-to recipe people usually prepare!

A step or two,

1. Combine Parmesan and herbs in a bowl and mix.

2. Chop the Zucchini lengthwise in sticks and place them on a baking tray. Drizzle with salt and pepper (as they are very watery you want to prepare them as soon as possible so they don't have time to leak on the baking tray).

3. Sprinkle with the Parmesan mixture.

4. Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then broil up to 3-4 minutes, until crispy.