When I would ask my son back in grade school days what he would like for dinner, he would reply, "Anything, mom, except, please, just not anything with '...inis.' He had developed a particular dislike for zucchini at an early age. So I was determined to make this vegetable much more appealing. Eventually, when I came up with this recipe, he stopped dreading zucchini. We do eat first with our eyes. I love thinking of ways to make food more fun, gratifying, and healthy. The upcoming fourth of July festively inspired the particular imagery featured here. I will also upload a photo of my "xoxo" version as well. Of course there has been a "tic tac toe" version.Even with my son now grown and living out of the house, I still make these. Food can offer a bit of playful, delicious fun for the kid in all of us. I like the contrast of flavors with the zesty feta, the rich taste of the parmesan, the airy lightness of the panko, the cooling effects of the mint, and the herbiness of the lemon thyme all complementing that distinct taste of the zucchini. Fresh tomato bruschetta makes a great additional dip with these.

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