Monday, September 6, 2010

tale of the zucchini imposter

As the title suggests, this is a story about a zucchini.
A zucchini that upon seeing, I proclaimed in delight (in my mind), 'I want roast zucchini!'

Such a delightful idea sent me flying through the supermarket, picking up other similarly fated vegetables - potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, etc. Things I would ordinarily buy to make soup or stirfry with. Not today! Today was the day of the ROAST, the roasting of all things vegetable.

I'm guessing that for most people, the idea of cooking a roast is "no biggie", as they would say in those suburbs which I will not name for sake of keeping my head attached to my body. It is a different story for me.

In the two and half years I have lived away from home, I believe I have cooked one roast. The vegetables of said roast were potato and pumpkin. That is all. Nothing extravagant like zucchini! Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the roasting process itself. I do, suprisingly, possess enough culinary skills to put vegetables in the oven. Hurrah!

The real problem, the real saga of the zucchini came much before its entry into the oven. After slicing my potato and carrots, and even capsicum, I turned my attention to my beautiful zucchini. I placed said zucchini onto the chopping board and I raised the knife. And I stopped. A look of suprise and confusion passed across my face (I suppose that happened, I unfortunately do not have a mirror in my kitchen for occasions such as this).


Have I ever cut a zucchini in my life? Probably not. If I have, I hold no recollection of it.How does one go about the slicing of this mean green courgette? Surely, it is simple? It is cylindrical, like a carrot, and I know how to cut those. It is larger than a carrot though, like a potato, and presumably cooks quicker than both of these. It is softer than above mentioned vegetables, similar to the delectable capsicum. Using all my skills in slicing sundry other vegetables, I managed to cut and oil my zucchini.

Now, it is in the oven, sizzling it's little heart out. I have come up with a theory from this experience though, one which should have me awarded with some sort of sciency award. A zucchini, otherwise known as a courgette, is not actually its own vegetable. Instead, it is an imposter, pretending to be other vegetables in order to confuse and subdue its enemies. Lucky I have an iron will!

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