Got a glut of zucchini? Turn ’em into chips and they’ll be gone in a flash.

It’s that time of year again when gardens are bursting at the seams with fresh produce, and if there’s one crop on which you can rely, it’s zucchini. I have three plants in my garden this year, and two varieties. Both are producing well and making a regular appearance at the dinner table. While my kids are great at eating veges, I admit to hiding them in dishes from time to time. Tonight we ate fish pie, inspired by a generous package of smoked fish delivered to our doorstep a few days ago by a thoughtful neighbour. It was flavoured with zesty lemon and feathery dill, and I also took the liberty of grating in a zucchini and adding finely chopped dandelion (chock full of vitamins and minerals) for an extra nutrient boost. On the side we ate lightly steamed silverbeet and beans (also both from the garden) and these smoked paprika zucchini chips. They were gone in a flash.     

SMOKED PAPRIKA ZUCCHINI CHIPS 

• 2 zucchini
• olive oil
• ¼-½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• sea salt

Preheat the oven to 150ºC on fan-bake and line two baking trays with baking paper. Thinly slice the zucchini into rounds and lay them out on the baking trays.

Brush generously with olive oil and bake until crisp. This will take a least an hour. Take pieces out as they crisp up as some will take longer than others.

Once all are crisp, sprinkle with the smoked paprika, starting with ¼ teaspoon and adding more if necessary, followed by the sea salt to taste. Serve immediately, they won’t last long!