Zucchini on the side

A guy at work has a big garden in central New Jersey. The garden produces a lot more than his household can consume.  So, starting in late June/early July, he starts delivering a "crop" for sale to the office kitchen once or twice a week.  Zucchini, cucumbers, basil early on.  Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and other good stuff come a little later. Today, for $3.25, I brought home two big beautiful zucchini (each one a foot long and dark green), a bunch of hearty basil, and four unwaxed cucumbers. 

An easy recipe for the zucchini and basil:  

1. Slice a big zucchini in thin rounds. 

2. Add to a large sauté pan with just enough olive oil to coat the surface of the pan entirely; heat it up to medium-high. 

3. Add the sliced zucchini to the pan with a little salt and a generous amount of basil; the basil makes all the difference.

4.  Cook up the slices until they are kinda translucent and floppy (yes that's a technical description). Use a spatula to keep things from sticking; use a cover to speed the cooking. 

5.  When done, transfer the zucchini to a serving dish or storage container. 

I would eat this right away - alone as is, as a side dish, or in a pita sandwich.  This is also an excellent base for a frittata.