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Fill each tomato with about 1 tablespoon of hummus, more or less, depending on its size. (Leftover hummus will keep for at least three days in the fridge—if you can resist eating it all in one sitting!)

Garnish with herbs and/or a drizzle of olive oil.

Makes 4 servings

SEARED HALLOUMI

Halloumi is sold in some conventional supermarkets and in Mediterranean or Middle Eastern grocery stores. You can sear it in a skillet or grill pan or on an outdoor grill.

INGREDIENTS

1 (8-ounce) package Halloumi

cheese

Juice of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon olive oil or oil spray,

for greasing the cooking

surface

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

Slice the Halloumi into ½-inch slices; you’ll get about six pieces. Place in a shallow dish and season with the lemon and oregano.

Grease a skillet or grill grate over medium heat.

With tongs, lift the cheese from the seasoning mixture and transfer to the skillet, in small batches, if necessary. Sear for 2 minutes on each side.

Eat immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Zucchini Boats ★ Quickie Couscous- Chickpea Salad

ZUCCHINI BOATS

In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver’s account of eating locally for a year, there’s a chapter called “Zucchini Larceny.” The summer squash in the family garden had lived up to its reputation as the vegetable that keeps on giving, and Kingsolver suggests to her husband that they get a pig to help them with the surplus. Sound familiar?

Here’s one way to deal with an embarrassment of zuke riches—transforming them into boats that are stuffed with a summery filling of tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs. I like to serve these edible containers with couscous-chickpea salad, my favorite on-the-fly combo during the hottest months. Note on herbs: Fresh is the operative word here, particularly during summer when they’re flourishing and abundant. The one dried allowance I’d make is oregano.

INGREDIENTS

6 medium-size zucchini (about

2 pounds), halved lengthwise

5 tablespoons extra-virgin

olive oil

1 medium-size onion,

chopped finely

3 cloves garlic, chopped finely

2 medium-size vine-ripe

tomatoes, cored and chopped

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon saltIt

Ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

(optional)I)

¾ cup grated pecorino or

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

¾ to 1 cup plain bread crumbs

with texture (See page 195 for

DIY details.)

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley,

chopped finely

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

Using a small spoon, scoop the pulp from each zucchini half, leaving a rim around the edges to minimize tearing. Reserve the pulp.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and reserved zucchini pulp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is softened and slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the ground coriander, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Remove from the heat.

In a medium-size bowl, stir together ¼ cup of the cheese, ¼ cup of the bread crumbs, and the parsley, mint, and oregano. Transfer the onion mixture to join the cheese mixture. With a wooden spoon, stir everything together until well mixed. Taste for salt and pepper, and season as you see fit. Squeeze the lemon a few times over the mixture if you feel the need for a little acidic pop.

Heat the oven to the broil setting.

With a silicone or pastry brush, apply the remaining oil on the inside of zucchini halves, and sprinkle with salt.

With oil spray, lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet. Place the zucchini on the baking sheet, making sure that the top rack is about 6 inches away from broiler element. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the zucchini to make sure it does not char. (Alternatively, you can grill the zucchini, cut side down, over direct heat for 3 to 5 minutes.)

2 teaspoons fresh mint leaves,

plucked from stems, torn

roughly

2 teaspoons fresh oregano

leaves, plucked from