Zucchini Slice with Marinated Goats Feta

Zucchinis grow in summer, and summer means picnics. Therefore, zucchini slice is the perfect picnic fare. When buying from the supermarket or the local hipster farmers’ market, it’s usually wise to go for the small to medium-sized ones, as the larger versions tend to be more fibrous. Because we’re grating the zucchini, though, it matters not.

A word on bacon. It matters. Specifically, the type. You may have seen products in the supermarket like pancetta or Kaiser Fleisch and wondered what the difference is between them and bacon. Well, both pancetta and bacon come from the belly of the pig – and that’s where the similarities end. Factory-made bacon, which you find vac-packed in the refrigerated aisle, has been injected with salt, sugar, flavour enhancers, starch and sometimes liquid pork protein and smoke flavour. By the time it hits the shelf, it’s as much as 14% water.

Pancetta, on the other hand, involves rubbing pieces of pork belly with salt and sometimes spices and then leaving to dry for around a week, during which time moisture is drawn out and some of the salt absorbed. The bellies are then rolled and hung to dry for another month. This allows some of the proteins to break down and turn into their more basic components, amino acids, which act as natural flavour enhancers. Pancetta contains far less water than bacon and it’s saltier. When added to dishes like our zucchini slice or slow cooks, they give a wonderful punch of flavour. Pancetta can be more expensive than bacon but, remember, when you buy bacon, you’re also buying water.

We list bacon in the ingredients because it’s easier to find and it still works. It just doesn’t work as well as pancetta.