It’s time for our annual Summer Squash Spree – a celebration of all the delicious dishes that feature zucchini, yellow crookneck, and pattypan squash. Summer squash are relatively inexpensive, quick to prepare, and have a sweet, popular flavor.
Preparing: Summer squash is picked when the vegetables have not fully matured. When they are “young,” they are wonderfully sweet and delicious, and you don’t need to do much to them other than a quick sauté with olive oil, garlic, and onion.
Storing: If you don’t eat them immediately, store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator with as much air pressed out of the bag as possible and they will last 3-5 days.
Feeding Your Family with Summer Squash:
- Grill, either on kabobs or sliced into thick strips.
- Cube squash and add to spaghetti sauce with the other vegetables (mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic, etc.).
- Grate and use in muffins or quick-breads, even pancakes or fritters. When you have extra zucchini on hand, freeze grated zucchini or squash to use later for baking.
- Stuff and bake. This works really well with zucchini. Hollow out halves to create zucchini “boats”, coat with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast until tender (about 10 minutes). Fill the roasted boats with any stuffing mixture that you want. One mixture we really like is sausage sautéed with onion, garlic, and the insides from the zucchini you hollowed out. Cooked grains like quinoa can also be added. After filling the boats, top with grated parmesan or cheddar cheese (and bread crumbs if you want), and broil until the cheese is melted.
- Create “ribbons” of squash with a vegetable peeler. Dress with a vinaigrette for a fresh summer salad.
- Cut into coins or long slices to layer into a meat or vegetable lasagna.
- Sauté cubed or sliced summer squash in olive oil. When it is almost cooked, add fresh corn (sliced off the ear) or frozen kernels along with minced garlic. Continue to sauté for a few minutes, and you’ll have a fast and savory side dish. Add parmesan, or goat cheese, for variations.
- Serve raw, cut either in coins, or spears and serve on a veggie platter, or with a dip or hummus.
- Add to soup, stew, and chili. Hot and cold soups are enhanced with cubed or pureed zucchini. See recipe below for a creamy zucchini soup that is so easy and delicious that you’ll want it in regular rotation in your summer menus.
Zucchini Soup from Connie Miller
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, olive oil, or butter
- 4 medium (6 cups) zucchini, chopped
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups milk
- freshly ground black pepper
- coarse salt
1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil or butter, until softened and lightly browned. 2. Add chopped zucchini to onion and garlic and stir. Add chicken stock and simmer until the zucchini is very soft, 15-20 minutes. 3. Use immersion blender (or cool and put in regular blender) and blend until smooth. 4. Pour soup back into pot, add milk and heat until warm (do not bring to a boil). Season with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste. Soup can also be served chilled.
Zucchini soup can be garnished with crostini, croutons, grated cheese, fresh herbs (dill, basil, cilantro), edible flowers.
Enjoy!
