Marinated Zucchini with Garlic and Herbs (Concia di Zucchine)

Marinated zucchini, or concia di zucchine (sometimes shortened to concia), is a classic dish in cucina ebraica romana, or Jewish-Roman cuisine. Concia translates as "tanning" (as in the tanning of leather) but in her book "Portico," Leah Koenig explains that the term stems from a word from the ancient Roman dialect that referred to hanging clothes out to sun-dry, much as the zucchini slices are laid out for frying, then marinating. The ingredients are simple: zucchini, extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. We slice our zucchini slightly thicker than most recipes, but marinating still takes as little as 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate it for up to three days (if chilled, let it stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving). Serve concia as an appetizer or side dish, or tuck it into sandwiches. Eggplant also is delicious given this treatment; see the recipe below.