Zucchini is just coming to farmers markets and gardens here in New Hampshire,  in time for Fourth of July backyard grilling. Zucchini grills beautifully; it holds up on the grill, accepts seasonings well, takes only a few moments to cook and develops perfect grill marks and a nice, smokey flavor.

Basil is plentiful in my garden right now, and I’m clipping it frequently to stimulate lateral growth; this recipe makes good use of these early summer trimmings.

I’ve been buying a lovely, soft, fresh goat cheese at the farmers market from Heart Song Farm in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. It’s soft, creamy and mild, and is served at the market directly out of an olive oil bath. It’s moist and spreadable.

This recipe is perfect for a light lunch or an easy appetizer.

Grilled Zucchini and Goat Cheese Roll-Ups

• 4 small zucchini (about 2-inch diameter)
• basil leaves, whole (approximately 20)
• 4 oz. fresh goat cheese
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Wash and cut the ends from the zucchini. Using a long, wide knife, slice each zucchini lengthwise into slices about 1/8 inch thick, or a little thicker. Try to slice them as evenly as possible. Aim for about 20 good slices. (Be sure to save the trimmings for soup stock or another use.)

Brush the slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on a charcoal grill directly over hot coals, turning to cook on both sides. It should take no more than about five minutes to grill them, although you may have to do it in a couple of batches, depending on the size of your grill.

On each grilled zucchini slice, at one end, place one basil leaf and a teaspoon or two of goat cheese. (Don’t use too much; a small amount works well and keeps them light.) Other herbs, sundried tomatoes or roasted pinenuts would all be good additions, for variety. Roll each slice up and place on a platter.

My four small zucchini yielded about 20 good slices, so I ended up with 20 roll-ups. Better knife skills would have, no doubt, resulted in more.

These are perfect served at room temperature, or still partially warm from the grill. They also keep well in the refrigerator for a day or so.

For a light holiday lunch, we enjoyed our grilled zucchini and goat cheese roll-ups with a green salad and a red, white and blue potato salad (made with new potatoes from today’s Concord Farmers Market).

We sipped a delicious herbal lemonade, a recipe from Straight from the Farm, made with peppermint, lemon thyme and vanilla bean. An unusual layering of flavors, tart and refreshing.

Perfect.

What’s on your grill this weekend?