Since a lot of us like to cook around here, I thought it would be fun to have a weekly veggie to highlight. If you have used this veggie, please share your favorite ways to cook it. If you've never used this veggie, use this thread to open your horizons and give something new a try. I will do my best to stay seasonal, and if you have any suggestions, please let me know!
Heather
Our first veggie:
Squash, Summer
(Yellow, Pattypan, Zucchini)
Nutritional Information
Good source of vitamin C.
What To Look For
Small squash with thin, glossy skins. Yellow squash and zucchini should be less than 8" long. Pattypan should be less than 3" in diameter.
Storage, Easy Cooking
Will keep for 3 days or more if refrigerated.
Rinse and remove stem and blossom end. Cut into pieces of desired size. Bake whole or halved, drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper, at 350°F, for 20 to 25 minutes. Or wilt in a very small amount of water with salt, pepper, and olive oil for 6 to 8 minutes. Fresh basil makes a good accompaniment.
Best Uses
Bake whole or halved, drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper, at 350°F, for 20 to 25 minutes. Or wilt slices in a very small amount of water with salt, pepper, and olive oil for 6 to 8 minutes
For example: I like to take summer squash in various forms, cut them up into bite sized pieces, and steam for only a min. or two. I'll then season them with salt & pepper, lemon juice. Put them in a WW pita w/ some shredded 2% cheese and maybe some tomato. It's a great lunch or afternoon snack.
I eat sliced zucchini raw as a snack most work days.
I have a ham, zucchini, pasta recipe that is posted here in the phase 2 entrees that I use quite a bit (I like to add asparagus to it or instead of the zucchini).
DH and I like to slice them on the diagonal, brush with EVOO and grill on both sides until done. Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil and serve.
We also like to roast them in the oven. Slice onions, squash and garlic and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and favorite herb/herb blend. Bake at 350* until soft and yummy! (Usually an hour.)
For a Spanish flair, I sautee onions and garlic in EVOO on medium heat. Then add sliced squash, 1-8 oz. can tomato sauce, 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, comino, chili powder, salt and peppper. Mix together. Simmer on low until liquid is thick and squash is soft. (Sometimes you have to add a few tomato sauce cans of water to keep it from burning.)
Finally, we love them fried in beer batter. I know, I know. SINFUL, but we only do it once every squash season. (We grow our own). Equal parts light beer to flour with seasonings (salt, pepper and cayenne for us), mix thoroughly. Throw in sliced squash to coat. Fry in hot oil of choice until golden, drain on wire racks and eat! Yum!
Last edited by Kim_Star060404; 07-17-2008 at 12:44 PM.
Although I'm not on the south beach diet I thought I would join in.I love summer squash and zucchini!! I always just sautee them with olive oil, garlic, sea salt and pepper. I usually make this as a side when I have whole wheat spaghetti and top both with the spaghetti sauce and then top with some Parmesan cheese.
I love zucchini, yellow squash, a little corn, onion and garlic seasoned with basil, oregano, rosemary and tyme, and any other seasonings or herbs you like, sliced and sauted with a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Just till slightly tender, leave it with some crunch. Then just before removing from the pan toss in diced fresh tomato and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Give a stir and serve. YUMMY! Especially with your beef, chicken or fish right off the grill.
You can also serve it over some whole wheat pasta with parmesean and any other cheese you might like. I've even mixed it in with the pasta and some no salt added spagetti sauce, put it in a cassarole dish with the cheese and baked it just until the cheese is bubbly.
I love zukes.
I make them cut into coins, sauteed in olive oil and lots of garlic, thyme, s&p. Then add just a little water and put the lid on to steam. After a couple of minutes top with parmesan or other cheese and replace the lid to melt. Yum!
We also love them stuffed. I have just discovered the 8-ball zucchini that are round and the size of a pepper so I have been stuffing them just like I would a pepper.
There is a recipe on here for "fried" zucchini which is dipped in egg and then parmesan cheese and cooked in the oven. Very yummy but labor intensive.
When I've got a ton of extra from the garden, I grate it and freeze it in plastic bags. When you thaw it it releases tons of water, so just drain and then I use it in chili, soups, spaghetti sauce, quick breads, casseroles, and a zucchini/rice gratin.
Oh, and ratatouille we do often, almost time to make some of that!
Yellow squash I generally just saute in some oil with onion.
I am curious to see what people do with the pattypans. I was eyeing some of those at the farmer's market, but I've never cooked them.
I like to make "boats" out of them. Boil them for a little while. Then split in half long ways and scoop out the "meat". Then saute the "meat" with onions, bellpepper, celery and garlic. If you have fresh mushrooms, throw those in too! Add a little creole seasoning. When the onion has turned clear, throw some peeled shrimp in for just a couple of minutes as to not overcook them. If you have some leftover brown rice, throw that in too..or quinoa or whatever grain you happen to have around. Or just skip the grain altogether.
take that mixture and stuff it back into the shells and bake in the oven for a few minutes. You can put mozzarella on top, or parmesan, or wg bread crumbs etc. You can put the broiler on for a bit to make the top "crispy" but watch it the whole time so it doesn't burn.
You can do the same with zuchinni and also what we call mirletons...I think the rest of the world calls them chayote.
Schmoodle, I love pattypan and usually just saute them in olive oil with onion and seasoning. But man are they expensive here. 6.99 a lb the other day. I skipped them.
Last edited by femmecreole; 07-17-2008 at 01:41 PM.
Why so expensive? Are they especially good? Do they not grow well in the South?
They kind of look like they have a "rind" as opposed to a soft skin like yellow squash or zucchini. Do you have to peel them?
Cat- $6.99 a #!!! I found them last week at a local produce stand and they were basically giving them away along with the zucchini. $.99 a lb. I bought what seems like a million pounds.
I know it isn't very inventive, but I really like mine simply roasted with grey fleur de sel and fresh pepper. There are many nights that I've made a big bunch and just had that for dinner.
Fleur de sel...before someone asks, here's the Wilkepedia definition. I imagine regular kosher or pickling salt would work well too. (That's non-iodized salt with big grains.)
You sure know how to get a girl's attention around here :0 Just back from camping and saw this thread.
We love our summer squash here. Lots of slicing in long quarters and grilling, sliced thin and added to omelets, yellow sauteed with either sage or fresh dill. zucchini in almost everything! One favorite involves peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes with crumbles (usually Gimme Lean sausage). My quick SBD meal of choice - chop up a zuke, toss it in a pan with a little salt, add some ff refried beans and lots of good salsa. I even eat it for breakfast some days!
Large zucchini end up being dried into snack chips with either onion salt and dill or garlic salt and basil. I can't make enough of these because we eat them all before I can store them away!
Weekly Veggie Thread: Summer Squash
