Marinated Summer Vegetables

 I know everyone's thoughts have already rushed full steam ahead to fall, but don't let that dissuade you from trying these veggies. You can fully embrace pumpkin and apples while still taking advantage of the zucchini you still have! We've had some of our hottest days here in St. Louis since the calendar turned to September. I actually prepped these vegetables as part of a picnic spread that ended up being moved indoors because of a severe heat advisory!
While they're perfect for a picnic (especially when packaged in a mason jar like I did), they'd also make a great side dish for just about any dinner, even if it does feature pumpkin! The vegetables require a bit of pre-work (chopping and roasting), but then they soak in vinaigrette and can be made up to three days ahead of time. We ate them on day three of their soak and they tasted perfectly fresh. They seem fancier than they are--like they belong on the salad bar at Whole Foods or something! You can swap out different herbs (the original recipe called for oregano, not thyme) to take advantage of whatever you still have growing in your herb garden. 

One Year Ago: Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad & Tomato Bacon Basil Pizza Rolls
Two Years Ago: Red Onion & Kalamata Tuna Salad & Chocolate Liqueur Brownies
Three Years Ago: Banana Oatmeal Date Cookies & Chicken & Artichokes in a White Wine Sauce
Four Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

Marinated Summer Vegetables
from Bon Appetit June 2013

Ingredients:
-3 zucchini (about 1 lb), sliced on a diagonal (1/2" thick)
-3 bell peppers, cut into 1" strips
-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
-kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
-2 garlic cloves
-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
-4 sprigs thyme

Directions:
1. Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the ovens. Preheat oven to 475F. Place squash and peppers on separate baking sheets lined with foil. Drizzle each pan of vegetables with 1/2 tbsp oil, season with salt & pepper, and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer, turning peppers skin side up.
2. Roast peppers on upper rack and squash on lower rack, turning squash once, until tender, 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. If desired, remove skins from peppers (I skipped doing this and they were perfectly fine--no weird taste or texture).
3. Whisk garlic, vinegar, and remaining 3 tbsp oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add vegetables and thyme and toss to coat. Cover and allow to sit for at least 1 hour or up to three days (chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving).