Category: Summer Squash (Zucchini, Patty Pan, Crookneck)

This dish was invented at the restaurant Le Cirque in New York City in the 70s. I think of it mostly as a disappointing restaurant dish vegetarian's are relegated to order. It can, however, be delicious and is a good template as it accommodates many different vegetables. There are many variations, some with cream or cream sauce, some without. Here's my cook-with-what-you-have version, employing a quick bechamel (white sauce) to enjoy spring through fall.  ... Read more »

Let’s be honest, if we really want to use up a lot of zucchini we should make ratatouille or zucchini fritters or myriad other savory dishes that can be the centerpiece of a meal. Zucchini bread/cake does not really use up that much, or maybe I just don’t have the right recipes. However, this cake I've adapted from David Lebovitz is worth making, and it uses 3 small-medium zucchini, which might make a dent if you have a backlog of zucchini, and is just so delicious it might as well be the centerpiece of a meal! I've added more zucchini, lemon zest and have reduced the sugar. With the crunchy glaze it seems plenty sweet enough for me.   ... Read more »

This soup features two of the most abundant late summer vegetables: corn and summer squash. It’s creamy, slightly sweet and full of flavor for quite a simple ingredient list.   Serves 4-6 ... Read more »

This is a satisfying main dish that’s reminiscent of mac n’ cheese, although slightly lighter thanks to all the veggies. This would also be delicious with broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, cabbage or greens in place of the summer squash. If you have an oven-proof skillet, it can all be made in one dish.  Serves 4  ... Read more »

These wholesome muffins are lightly sweet, spiced and moist. They’re a perfect breakfast or snack with a spread of butter or nut butter.  Makes 12 muffins  ... Read more »

Couscous steams in 10 minutes, is a lovely absorbent base for bright dressings and can be tossed with most anything. It's a good thing to have on hand when you're short on time.  ... Read more »

This skillet “lasagna” is a perfect way to use the late summer abundance of tomatoes and zucchini. It is not traditional by any means - there’s no layering, no meat, a lot more vegetables and it's all made on the stovetop. But, it has all the delicious flavors of garlic, onion, tomato and cheese you associate with lasagna, mixed with bite-sized pieces of noodles and veggies. And it’s a whole lot quicker to make than your classic lasagna!   Variations add ground meat when sautéing the onions and garlic use regular tomatoes in place of the cherry tomatoes add in other vegetables like cauliflower, corn, spinach, kale, etc. use different pasta shapes and adjust cooking time accordingly top with mozzarella and broil for several minutes   Serves 4... Read more »

This is a simplified version of this and can be adapted to suit your needs. I often make more peanut/tahini sauce than I need for a specific dish and then use leftover sauce on these quickly sautéed vegetables. This recipe makes a lot of sauce so feel free to halve it if you want. It stores well for 5 days, covered, in the fridge. ... Read more »

  Serves 3 as a side  ... Read more »

These aren’t “saucy” noodles, but they’re quite flavorful. This recipe can act as a template for whatever vegetables you have. Cabbage, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans or snap peas would all be delicious. You can also add in additional protein like tofu, chicken or shrimp.   Serves 3-4  ... Read more »

Quinoa cooks quickly, has a pleasantly nutty taste and is nutritious. If you're in a rush and have random bits of vegetables on hand, even just a carrot and stalk of celery, you can have this on the table in 25 minutes. Round it out with a fried egg or any protein you'd like and/or a salad. You can easily scale this up and the ratio of quinoa to water is one to one and you can use whatever vegetables and/or meats you'd like so it's more of a set of guidelines than a recipe.... Read more »

  [caption id="attachment_19384" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Chicken and lots of veg in this version.[/caption] My son loves this dish and it's a pretty quick weeknight dinner. It's a great way to use (up) any number of vegetables. It calls for a higher ratio of vegetables than might be typical and you can certainly use fewer. [caption id="attachment_21828" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Straight chicken version with lots of scallions and cilantro.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17922" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Tofu version[/caption]... Read more »

A box grater (or grating blade on a food processor) can turn any number of vegetables into a form that will cook quickly, brown easily and absorb and/or combine with myriad flavors. It's a good method to have in your cook-with-what-you-have repertoire when you have random bits to use. It's delicious with a piece of good bread and maybe an egg or as a side to most anything. It's delicious the next day so make plenty.   Variations: Use any vegetable you can grate such as turnips, kohlrabi, sweet potatoes, potatoes, summer squash/zucchini, beets, broccoli stems. 1 stalk green garlic or 2-3 cloves garlic, minced Tender greens such as spinach, beet greens or mustard greens, finely chopped are a great addition, add toward end of the cooking time. Herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil or mint, chopped; add toward end of the cooking time. ... Read more »

They key here is to dice the summer squash really small. It's a quick, savory dish that is also suitable for squash skeptics--the cute little dice are well integrated and keep their shape.... Read more »

Zhoug is an herb and green chile sauce/paste from Yemen but popular in Israel as well and other parts of the Middle East. ... Read more »

This is a very quick, fragrant and delicious side dish.  You could dress it up with buttered bread crumbs, change the herbs, add thin slices of eggplant or adapt it in other ways to suit your taste/what you have on hand. ... Read more »

--Inspired by Seductions of Rice by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid   Indian pilafs are made by sauteing onions and some spices, then adding rice and more vegetables (in this case) and sauteing again before adding liquid, then covering and cooking and then finishing by steaming, off the heat. The result is a beautiful, deeply flavored, fluffy dish that can stand on its own or be a robust side dish. Feel free to experiment with different vegetables or just use a single vegetable.  ... Read more »

This is a simple, fresh and easily adaptable salad. I really like the combination of dill and summer squash and a little carrot with the tangy vinaigrette. The toasted and roughly ground coriander seeds are a very nice addition. You can also easily scale this up or down and vary the ratio of orzo to vegetables to suit your taste/needs. ... Read more »

--adapted from Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome   Four ingredients is all you need and you likely have them all in mid-summer. Simple, creamy (but with no cream) and satisfying. This soup is best, or definitely prettiest, made with green zucchini varieties. For the version above I used two green zucchini and one yellow patty pan squash.  ... Read more »

A busy day and hectic evening with various neighborhood kids underfoot led to this impromptu creation. I like to make more rice than I need (in the moment) whenever I cook rice. So I happened to have 2 cups of short grain brown rice leftover from dinner the night before. I had two zucchini from the previous week's CSA share plus a new one so that was the foundation for these delicious fritters that I will make again and again. You can vary the vegetables, the type of rice or grain, the herbs the cheese--it's just a great template. I also happened to have this raw tomatillo and avocado salsa verde (takes only 5 minutes to make!) leftover as well, and it made a delicious topping for these savory fritters.  ... Read more »