My husband, Jules, and I planted our usual vegetable garden again this year, and for some reason the zucchinis have gone nuts. They are plentiful, and they are large. So it's forced us to come up with varied ways to actually get through them Here's one Jules came up with to serve to backyard dinner guests on the weekend:

Gratinated Zucchini Boats

Cut a large zucchini in half lenghwise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp and put aside. Place zucchini cut side up in a baking pan and put into a 350 degree oven. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet; soften a chopped onion, a few cloves of crushed garlic, fresh herbs of your choice and the zucchini seeds and pulp. Then toss in a couple of chopped tomatoes. When all is soft, which takes about 3 to 5 minutes, add a couple of handfuls of grated cheese (we used Parmesan and cheddar). Remove baking pan from oven, and pour off the excess water that has leached from the zucchini during baking. Spoon filling into the 'boats'. Put the pan back in the oven but switch the setting to 'Broil' to brown the top. Delicious.

Related:
• Meatless Monday: Crispy Kale & Potato Bake
• Meatless Monday: Boston Baked Beans
• Meatless Monday: Tofu & Veggie Stirfry