Charred Zucchini with Gochujang and Scallions

Hobak muchim is a Korean side dish of seasoned sliced zucchini. This boldly flavorful—yet ultra-simple—version the charred bitter notes and subtle sweetness of the zucchini (or yellow summer squash) is a perfect match for the spicy, pungent, sesame-fragrant, salty-sweet dressing that coats the zucchini after broiling. When shopping, look for medium-size zucchini (ones that weigh about 8 ounces each) so the slices aren’t too small and numerous nor too large and few. Gochujang is an umami-packed Korean hot pepper paste; look for it in the international aisle of most supermarkets or in Asian grocery stores. Note that we use seasoned rice vinegar here, as it’s an easy one-ingredient way to incorporate acidity, sweetness and salt.