The plate is a palette of muted autumn colors. At its heart is a bed of fluffy white roasted garlic rice, speckled with fresh herbs. Atop the rice sit caramel-brown, translucent zucchini rounds, glistening with the sheen of confit. The dish is garnished with a sprinkle of chopped herbs and a drizzle of the garlic-infused oil in which the zucchini was confited.

Zucchini Confit with Roasted Garlic Herb Rice

Name: Zucchini Confit with Roasted Garlic Herb Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 200 min
Total time: 215 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: medium zucchini, 2 sliced into 1/4 inch-thick rounds; garlic cloves, 10 divided; Rosemary, Thyme, and Parsley mixture, 1 tablespoon chopped; olive oil, 1 cup; long-grain rice, 1/2 cup rinsed and drained; cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon; salt, to taste; black pepper, to taste

Category Main Course

Prep 15 minutes

Cook 200 minutes

Style French

Technique Bake

Diet Friendly Mediterranean

Daily Recipe: September 24, 2023

This dish is a playful twist on traditional French cuisine. We're swapping the usual protein with the seasonal produce of zucchini. This recipe explores the sublime flavor of zucchinis when they're cooked just right, paired with roasted garlic rice, embellished with aromatic herbs.

Ingredients (for 2)

Medium zucchini - 2 - sliced into 1/4 inch-thick rounds
Garlic cloves - 10 - divided
Rosemary, thyme, and parsley mixture - 1 tablespoon - chopped
Olive oil - 1 cup
Long-grain rice - 1/2 cup - rinsed and drained
Cayenne pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - to taste

Preparation

Step 1 - 🔥🕓🔛

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2 - 🥒🧄🌿

Arrange the sliced zucchini in a dish. Sprinkle with 4 crushed garlic cloves and chopped herbs. Pour oil over them until nearly submerged.
Step 3 - 🥘⏳🔥

Put the baking dish in the oven. Let the zucchini bake for 3 hours, or until semi-translucent and tender.
Step 4 - 🍚🧄💦🌶️

In a saucepan, cook 6 minced garlic cloves until golden. Add rice, sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and cayenne and mix well. Pour in water and get it to a boil.
Step 5 - 🔥🍚⏲️

Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the saucepan and let it cook until the rice is tender and fluffy.
Step 6 - 🥒🍚🥣

Place the zucchini on a bed of prepared garlic rice. Drizzle with the garlic and herb-infused oil from the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Additional

To make this dish more hearty, you might add sautéed tofu cubes or chickpeas to the zucchini confit. Children can help by carefully layering the zucchini rounds in the baking dish and sprinkling the herbs.