Get To The Grit: Roasted Corn & Zucchini Quesadillas

The Grit Cookbook

I wish the college town I live in had a restaurant like The Grit. Sure, there are a handful of local places to eat, but nothing that remotely resembles the funky feel of The Grit in Athens, Georgia. The cookbook merely reflects the restaurant, which reflects the town, which reverberates through me whenever I encounter a vegetarian restaurant or cookbook. I'm always wondering -  can it match or beat The Grit?

True, I'm expressing significant favoritism here. I used to volunteer at Daily Groceries Co-Op that used to be in the same building as The Grit on Prince Avenue, and has since relocated about a block away. Still, it wasn't unusual for someone from the restaurant to run over in a mild panic asking for tomatoes or an avocado or something else they'd run out of. And I'm willing to bet that The Grit has at least one struggling musician on staff right now.

Veggies

I've eaten at The Grit countless times and, if it didn't take a twelve-hour drive, I'd be on my way there right now. I've long since moved from the South, and the cookbook moved with me. I have mastered the art of the quintessential "Golden Bowl," and plan to cook it later this week. For starters, I went with Roasted Corn and Zucchini Quesadilla's on page 74.

This was a very simple recipe to follow and prepare. It calls for oven roasting corn and zucchini in olive oil. I hesitated because the recipe calls for frozen corn, and I envisioned something yicky. I used a spiffy Persian Lime-Flavored Olive Oil I received for Christmas this year. It smelled fabulous while roasting - and looked good, too.

Roasted Corn, Zucchini, Lime-Flavored Olive Oil & Cilantro

Quesadilla's aren't complicated to cook. You simply heat your pan up add in a tortilla and the fixin's and cook it up a bit. The end result was slightly crispy on the outside, and ooey-gooey on the inside. At first I was not impressed, even disappointed as the inside seemed watery and bland, possibly due to the frozen corn. But after a few bites, I chomped and the flavors of cilantro (which I like) and lime exploded in my mouth. The lime was bright while cilantro played a lower, even earthy note.

If I make this again, it will be in the summer. I'm picturing chicken marinated in the lime olive oil, grilled, shredded. And definitely fresh sweet corn for a sensational, sexy summertime meal. Mmmmm!