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Using up all that Summer Squash: With all the ways it can be used, you'll get your share of vegetables
Journal Photo by Jennifer Rotenizer
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Published: June 18, 2008
People think of summer squash as year-round vegetables because grocery stores stock them all year. But they do have a season. After all, they don't call them summer squash for nothing.
Squash dates back 7,000 years in the New World, but American Indians ate only winter squash, mature specimens with well-formed seeds and hard shells. According to The Classic Zucchini Cookbook, summer squash, with its edible skin and seeds, became popular only in the 1950s when zucchini came to this country from Italy.
Summer squash has three types: crookneck (yellow), pattypan and zucchini. They are about 95 percent water, so they benefit from dry-heat cooking methods, including grilling, sauteing, deep-frying and broiling. These methods help cook out the water and concentrate the squash flavor. For the same reason, some recipes call for salting and draining squash before cooking to draw out some of the moisture.
Southern cooks also like to stew the squash, sometimes just with onions, sometimes with tomatoes and other ingredients. The squash-loving state of Oklahoma -- which cooks Southern even if it's halfway to the West Coast -- even includes stewed squash and tomatoes as a part of its official state meal. (Now if North Carolina had a state meal, I wonder what would it be?)
Smaller squash tend to have less water and more flavor. Very large ones can be slightly bitter. Smaller ones also will have fewer seeds. Look for firm, unblemished squash that weigh 8 ounces or less. The exception would be for stuffing squash, in which medium, 12- to 16-ounce squash are often used.
Squash's mild flavor makes it a versatile vegetable in the kitchen. It can be sliced lengthwise or crosswise, diced, cut into chunks, peeled into "noodles," pureed or shredded.
Here are some quick ideas for preparing summer squash:
□ Scrape a vegetable peeler lengthwise to create squash "noodles." Blanch or saute them and serve topped with a tomato or creamy Alfredo sauce.
□ Very small, fresh squash can be eaten raw in salads or as part of a vegetable plate with dip.
□ Steam the superfresh, just-picked squash slices and serve with salt and pepper.
□ Brush slices of squash lengthwise with olive oil and throw them on the grill next to the steaks. Or give them a nice marinade, as in the recipe for grilled squash below.
□ Broil lengthwise ½-inch-thick slices for about 5 minutes with oil, and salt and pepper, then top with grated Parmesan cheese and broil 5 to 10 minutes more until brown. Or stuff them with cheese and bacon first, as in the recipe below for stuffed squash.
□ Saute slices with butter, salt and pepper. Add lemon juice or some chopped basil, and serve. Squash is also good sauteed with onions, garlic, red bell peppers and mushrooms.
□ Shredded squash also is good for sauteing, and is a way to use up a lot of squash at once.
□ Squash also is a great addition to any stir-fry.
□ Make a spicy hash by sauteing finely diced squash with minced chile pepper and corn.
□ Make a classic casserole, or a "pudding," as in the old-fashioned Southern recipe below.
□ Simmer squash in any vegetable soup, or make a smooth summer soup with sauteed onions, squash and chicken or vegetable broth. Optional ingredients include a chopped potato or carrot, and some chopped basil, thyme, cilantro or mint. Puree the soup and serve hot or hold.
□ Squash also pairs well with tortellini in the soup recipe below.
□ Squash even can be made into a sweet bread. The Winston-Salem Journal even has a zucchini pineapple cake in our Recipe Database, online in the Lifestyles/Food section of www.journalnow.com. Other squash recipes in the database include squash pie, two types of squash casserole and a Greek corn bread that incorporates grated squash and feta cheese into the batter.
However you slice it, squash offers lots of opportunities for eating your vegetables this summer.
Grilled Yellow Squash and Zucchini
Recipe adapted from New South Grilling (Hyperion, 2008) by Robert St. John.
2 large yellow squash, cut on the bias into ½-inch pieces
2 large zucchini, cut on the bias into ½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ cup No-Stick Grilling Marinade for Vegetables (recipe below)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the squash and zucchini on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with the salt and let sit 20 minutes.
2. Pat the surfaces of the squash dry. Use a pastry brush to coat both sides with the no-stick marinade.
3. Prepare the grill for direct high heat. When hot, grill squash over direct heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Remove from grill and sprinkle with black pepper. Serve hot or room temperature.
Makes 6 servings.
No-Stick Grilling Marinade for Vegetables
Recipe adapted from New South Grilling (Hyperion, 2008) by Robert St. John. This recipe is essentially a homemade mayonnaise flavored with garlic, balsamic vinegar and other flavorings. This recipe makes much more than is needed for the grilled squash recipe. Leftover marinade can be used for almost any other kind of vegetable, and feel to try it on meats (though St. John has slightly different marinades in his book for poultry, beef and seafood. This marinade also can be used when sauteing or broiling foods.
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup canola oil
1 cup light olive oil
Warm water as needed
2 tablespoons Lawry's or other seasoned salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 tablespoon celery salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Place egg yolks, mustard and vinegar in a food processor. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. With the motor of the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the oils, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the marinade becomes too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water. Once all of the oils have been incorporated, add seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, celery salt and black pepper until well combined.
3. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Makes 2½ cups.
Cheese-Stuffed Squash
Recipe adapted from The Good Home Cook (Collectors Press, 2006), edited by Richard J. Perry.
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 medium or 4 small zucchini or yellow summer squash
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
½ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs, or more
1. Fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Trim ends from the squash. If using crookneck squash, trim a bit more off stem end, leaving only the thicker, main body of the squash. Cut tsquash in half lengthwise. Blanch squash in the boiling water until partially cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain well.
3. Heat the broiler. Scoop out the pulp from the squash, leaving a ¼-inch border around the edges, creating a boat shape. Chop the pulp and mix with tomatoes and cheese.
4. Place squash hollowed side up on a broiler pan. Fill each with some of the cheese mixture.
5. Mix bread crumbs with the reserved 1 tablespoon bacon fat. Crumble the bacon and mix into the bread-crumb mixture. Sprinkle some of the mixture on top of each squash half. Place under broiler until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
Stewed Squash and Tomatoes
Recipe from www.saveurmag.com. When served with chicken fried steak, fried okra, and pecan pie, a side of stewed squash and tomatoes rounds out Oklahoma's official state meal. Use tiny yellow and green pattypan squash and fresh tomatoes for the best results. (Be sure to use tomatoes from states not associated with the recent salmonella outbreak in this recipe and the following soup recipe.)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 pound small green and yellow pattypan squash, cut into 1-inch wedges
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
3 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
8 leaves basil, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 10 minutes. Add squash and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the squash begins to soften and brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Add 1 cup water, tomatoes and garlic to the skillet; stir to combine. Cook until liquid has reduced by a half and the squash is cooked through, about 5 more minutes. Stir in butter and basil and season with pepper to taste.
Makes 4 servings.
Tortellini and Zucchini Soup
Recipe adapted from The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook (The Countryman Press, 2006) by the editors of EatingWell magazine.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large carrots, finely chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 14-ounce cans vegetable or chicken broth
2 medium zucchini, diced
9 ounces fresh or frozen tortellini, preferably spinach-and-cheese
4 plum tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots and onion. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and beginning to brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in broth and zucchini; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add tortellini and tomatoes and simmer until the tortellini is plump and the tomatoes are beginning to break down, 6 to 10 minutes. Stir vinegar into the soup just before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
Yellow Squash Pudding
Recipe adapted from A Love Affair With Southern Cooking (William Morrow, 2007), which just won a James Beard Award for Best Americana Cookbook of last year. Author Jean Anderson, who lives in Chapel Hill, said she duplicated casserole from a dish she had many years ago at the former Reinlyn House tea room in Raleigh. Anderson said that the secret to this dish is the slow cooking, which makes the squash and onion caramelize, adding a wonderful flavor.
3 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon crumbled dried leaf marjoram
½ teaspoon crumbled dried leaf thyme
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
12 tender young yellow squash (about 2½ pounds), trimmed and coarsely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup soda cracker or saltine crumbs (not too fine), mixed with 2 tablespoons melted butter, for topping
1. Lightly butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan over moderately high heat. Add the onion, marjoram, thyme and nutmeg. Reduce heat to medium, and saute about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until onion is lightly browned.
3. Mix in the squash, salt and pepper. Cover and cook 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until the squash is very soft. If squash should become dry, add up to ¼ cup water. Toward the end of cooking, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Scoop the squash mixture into the buttered baking dish, spreading to the edge. Bake uncovered on middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes. Spread the cracker-crumb topping evenly over the top and bake 30 minutes more, until top is touched with brown. (If desired, run the casserole under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to brown the top more.) Serve hot with baked ham, fried chicken, or roast pork or turkey.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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