Burned and squashed

The summer I moved to California I lived inland, about 20 miles away from the coast. And it was hot! I wasn't used to a heat that made the candles in our apartment warp in their holders, and I found it a little unnerving. But the apartment building was equipped with a pool, and I spent many hours cooling off and getting burned.

I slathered on plenty of sunscreen, but as a blonde with pale skin, I got my share of sunburns that August. Yet one good thing happened at the pool, I met my very first American friends retired Jack, with a stomach as round as a soccer ball and his cheery wife Ginny.

They both liked to cook, and we bonded over food. When zucchini came in season, they gave me my very first American cookbook with plenty of zucchini recipes. They also told me a funny story about some friends who were so overwhelmed with the sheer quantity of their harvest, they left zucchini anonymously at people's front doors at night like abandoned babies on the steps of a church. I ate zucchini in Italy before, but never had I seen them in such abundance and in such sizes and colors. They were just about everywhere, a cornucopia in grocery stores, farm stands, backyards and even in the lunch room at work.

I find zucchini just plain beautiful, shiny green with tiny light specks. They have a subtle, slightly sweet taste and are a great partner to Italian ingredients like basil, rosemary, garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese. For a light summer soup, I use small tender ones that I cut into rounds and quickly sauté in peppery olive oil. I simmer the zuccs in vegetable broth and purée them when tender. The soup has the loveliest shade of pale green, the flavor elevated by a squirt of lemon.

Over the years, I lost touch with my old friends Jack and Ginny, but I still have that very first, well-worn cookbook.

Zucchini Soup with Basil and Lemon

Inspired by the Nitty Gritty Cookbook

Serves 4

1 lbs Zuccini, sliced to ¼ inch thickness

1 small onion, cut in half and sliced

1 ½ tb olive oil

2 cups vegetable broth

3 medium-sized leaves of fresh basil

Juice of ½ lemon

Salt, pepper

Additional basil leaves for serving

Parmesan cheese to taste

Sauté onion in olive oil on low flame for about 15 minutes until golden and fragrant. Add zucchini and stir until slightly browned. Cover with broth and simmer gently for another 10 - 15 minutes until zucchini are tender. Let cool a little and blend with the basil leaves until frothy and creamy, adding an additional ½ cup of water or more. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve hot with a chiffonade of basil and a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.