Sweet and Spicy Zucchini

Samin Nosrat devotes a whole chapter of her book Good Things to homemade condiments, components, and toppings. Things like pickled chiles and preserved lemon paste, which require an investment of time on the front end but make day-to-day cooking easier, more delicious, and distinctive. “You’re giving your future self a gift,” she says. These flavor-packed elements show up in recipes throughout the book, and Nosrat hopes that readers will “start to see the pattern of how I incorporate these ingredients, and feel more liberated to make choices for themselves.” We’ve adapted her zucchini recipe to incorporate store-bought preserved lemons and Calabrian chile paste, but the recipes for the homemade versions you’ll find in Good Things are reason alone to buy the book.