Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Summer Squash recipes

These are from Peaceful Valley, an organic farm seed and supply catalogue:

Simple Sauté

Dice an onion and slice few zucchini. Warm a few table spoons of olive oil in a frying pan and add the onions, then zucchini a couple minutes later. Add some Italian seasoning and fresh cracked pepper. Other welcome additions could include minced garlic, diced red pepper, summer squash. Put the lid on the pan to let the squash simmer and soften. Enjoy with rice.

 

Summer Omelette

Whisk 4 eggs with a touch of milk and pour them over sauté vegetables (see above). Use a spatula around the edges of the pan to encourage the uncooked eggs to find their way to the frying pan surface. When the eggs are nearly done, add some cheddar cheese to the top and put a lid on it. Turn off the burner and let the cheese melt. Fold in half (or not) and enjoy!

 

Summer Squash Soup

In a tablespoon of olive oil, sauté a diced yellow onion or two, some minced garlic, and (optional) sliced celery and carrots. After a couple minutes, add several sliced summer squashes, stir and sauté for about 5 minutes. When the squash is soft, add enough chicken (or vegetable) broth to cover the vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes. Blend the soup in a blender in batches. Stir in a 1/4 cup of cream (optional) and serve with a decorative drizzle of creme fraich or sour cream (optional). *Make this a curry squash soup by adding a table spoon of curry powder when you sauté the onions.

 

Stuffed Zucchini

When you find yourself with a zucchini the size of a bowling ball pin, slice it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and set it aside. Sauté some onions, garlic, more squash (of course), other garden veggies, and optionally some beef or Italian sausage. Add some tomato sauce (optional). Mix in bread crumbs or cooked rice or cooked barley. Add some mozzarella or parmesan cheese (optional). Re-fill the zucchini shells with the stuffing and place them in a glass baking dish with a 1/2" of water in the bottom and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.  (Let us know if you want some larger squash - we usually feed them to the chickens).

 

Squash Parmesan

Slice any kind of squash you have on hand. Toss with some olive oil and minced garlic. Fill a glass baking dish with the squash and cover the top with a generous layer of a mixture of breadcrumbs, parmesan, and italian herbs. Bake for 30-45 minutes. This makes a great side dish for chicken.

 

Summer Squash Garlic Grill Marinade

Mince 4 cloves of garlic and mix it with a pinch of fine salt. Allow it to sit for a minute (the salt will help bring out the garlic flavor). Mix with1/4 cup of olive oil and add any other herbs you enjoy grilling with. Slice zucchinis, yellow summer squashes, and patty pan squashes into broad 1/4" slices. Brush both sides with the garlic marinade, grill for about 3 minutes on each side and enjoy.  (I usually also add tamari soy sauce.)


I also like to roast squash and other vegetables:  slice in uniform-sized pieces.  Toss with a good olive oil.  Spread 1 layer deep on a cookie sheet and roast in a 375-425 oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring 1-2 times.

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