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Close-up of a vibrant vegetable dish featuring roasted zucchini slices, yellow cherry tomatoes, leafy greens, and a sprinkle of mixed seeds and herbs on top. The food looks fresh and coated in a flavorful sauce.

Grilled Summer Squash, Za’atar & Cherry Tomato Confit

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Charred summer squash tossed with floral za’atar, slow-cooked tomato confit, and bright red wine vinegar. It's smoky, juicy, herby, and built to steal the show.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Californian, Mediterranean
Calories: 5482
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Grilled Squash
  • 1 lb Mixed summer squash cut into ¾-inch slices
  • ¼ cup Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoon Homemade za’atar recipe below
  • ½ cup Cherry tomato confit recipe below
  • 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon Optional: Fresh mint julienned
Za’atar (makes ~¾ cup)
  • 2 tablespoon Sesame seeds
  • 1 small Garlic clove or ½ large, grated
  • 2 tablespoon Dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoon Dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon Lemon zest finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon Ground sumac optional
  • ½ cup Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt to taste
Tomato Confit (makes several cups)
  • 2 lb Tomatoes your choice of variety — enough to fill your baking vessel
  • 6-8 cloves Garlic
  • 1 bunch Fresh herbs oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley
  • 2 cups Extra-virgin olive oil

Equipment

  • Grill pan or outdoor grill
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Sheet Pan
  • Small Skillet
  • Oven-safe baking dish

Method
 

Make the Za’atar
  1. In a small dry pan, toast sesame seeds over medium heat until fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes. Let cool.
  2. In a bowl, combine grated garlic, dried thyme, oregano, toasted sesame seeds, lemon zest, sumac (if using), and olive oil.
  3. Stir to combine, season with salt, and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Make the Tomato Confit
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Score the bottoms of the tomatoes with an X. Blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, then shock in ice water for 1 minute. Peel skins and discard.
  2. In a baking dish, layer peeled tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. Cover with olive oil until submerged.
  3. Cover with foil and roast for 1 hour. Cool, then transfer to jars, making sure everything remains submerged in oil. Keeps 2–3 months in the fridge.
Grill the Squash
  1. Heat a grill pan over high heat until smoking hot.
  2. In a bowl or on a sheet pan, coat squash with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Grill squash until deeply seared, 5–7 minutes per side.
  4. Toss warm squash with 2 tablespoon za’atar, ½ cup tomato confit, and red wine vinegar.
  5. Garnish with mint (if using), taste for seasoning, and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 5482kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 8gFat: 611gSaturated Fat: 85gPolyunsaturated Fat: 70gMonounsaturated Fat: 440gSodium: 62mgPotassium: 552mgFiber: 6gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 5127IUVitamin C: 83mgCalcium: 286mgIron: 18mg

Notes

Storage: The grilled squash is best the day it's made, it softens further as it sits. The za'atar keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, and the tomato confit keeps submerged in its oil in the fridge for 2-3 months, so both can be made well ahead.

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