summer squash

Delicious! Zucchini Crudo Salad with Fresh Dill

September 3, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Zucchini Crudo Salad with Fresh Dill is one of my favorite salad’s. Zucchini and yellow squash or thinly sliced on a mandoline, placed in a colander, salted and left to hang out for about 15 minutes.

Delicious! Zucchini Crudo Salad with Fresh Dill

I found this recipe in Michael Symon’s cookbook “Live to Cook” https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Symons-Live-Cook-Techniques/dp/0307453650. This is what he says about the recipe: “This is a version of A salad Jonathan Waxman is known for that I fell in love with when I first tasted it. Who’d have thought, after decades of cooking, that zucchini could be an epiphany. But it was. I simply never thought of eating it raw. Seriously, it was a jaw-dropping surprise. I think he dressed it only with salt, lemon, and olive oil. I’ve added some garlic and shallots—building the dressing on top of these raw aromatics—along with dill, because I love dill, and with almonds for crunch and nuttiness.

It’s important to salt the zucchini ten to fifteen minutes before serving it; this will leach out the right amount of water but leave some crunch. Put the salt on too early and you can lose that texture. If you need to prepare the dish ahead, the vinaigrette can be made up to a few hours in advance and you can slice the zucchini up to an hour before salting it if you cover it with a damp towel and leave it at room temperature “.

I too love fresh dill and the dill combined with lemon juice in the vinaigrette is amazing! A similar salad with fresh dill on my blog is the Spinach and Berries Salad: https://the2spoons.com/colorful-spinach-and-berries-salad-with-dill/. It is a beautiful salad!

Delicious! Zucchini Crudo Salad with Fresh Dill

You have to make this recipe soon! Luckily Squash is available all year so this is great anytime of the year! Serve it with just some French bread or as a salad with a pasta dish! This would be a wonderful side with salmon. Substitute the salad in this salmon dish for the zucchini Crudo! It will be perfect! https://the2spoons.com/lemon-parmesan-salmon/.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Crudo

Print Recipe

Course: easy side dish, easy side dish, vegetable, Salad

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2 Zucchini, thinly Sliced
2 yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. plus 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely sliced
grated zest and juice of 3 lemons, or to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cups slivered or sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill.

Method

Combine the zucchini and yellow squash in a colander in the sink and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the salt over it. Toss to coat, and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, no longer. In a large bowl, combine the garlic and shallot, sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Whisk in the olive oil in a steady stream, then the almonds and dill. Taste for seasoning and acidity (it should be nicely acidic). Add the zucchini and squash to the dressing, toss, and serve immediately.

Zucchini Crudo Salad with Fresh Dill
Lemon Parmesan Salmon with Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Wonderful Mushroom Stuffed Summer Squash

July 5, 2019 by Becky Spoon

This recipe for Mushroom Stuffed Summer Squash is the perfect solution for all that summer squash you have in your garden or that’s available in the grocery store. I didn’t grow squash this year, but I’m telling you, when I do, I am always looking for recipes to use the abundance I have. There’s different varieties of summer squash and this recipe would work with any of them. Here’s a link with the different varieties: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/squash/different-summer-squashes-to-grow.htm

The other day I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with some squash a friend had given us. I remembered my stuffed mushrooms recipe and decided that filling tweaked a little would be the perfect stuffing for this squash and I was right! If you later want to try the stuffed mushrooms, here’s that link: https://the2spoons.com/youll-love-these-stuffed-mushrooms/

Wonderful Mushroom Stuffed Summer Squash

I actually served this the other day with my . I thought it’d make a nice side dish for my Sunday Pot Roast, but this would be a great side dish for almost any meal or even the main course!! With the mushrooms it would be a hearty meal on its own! Here’s the Sunday Pot Roast recipe if you don’t already have: https://the2spoons.com/the-best-instant-pot-sunday-pot-roast/.

Hope you try this!! Remember, it makes a great no meat meal! It shines and does not have to be a side dish!

Mushroom Stuffed Summer Squash

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings: 6

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

10-12 Button or Baby Bella mushrooms, thickly sliced or chopped
2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the tops of the mushrooms
1/2 Cup Finely chopped green onions
1/2 Cup Finely chopped red bell peppers
1/2 Cup Coarse bread crumbs ( I used Panko)
1/2 Cup Parmigiana -reggiano cheese or other Parmesan cheese
1/4 Cup Finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 Tbsp Unsalted butter
1/2 Cup Chicken stock
1/4 Cup Dry white wine, optional
4-6 summwr squash, can be yellow or zucchini, par boiled with the inside scraped out after par boiling

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Par boil the squash in boiling water a couple of minutes. Remove from the water, drain and when cool enough to handle, cut in half and scrape the inside of the squash into a bowl. Including the stems, thinly slice or chop the mushrooms.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions and cook until wilted, about one minute. Stir in the red peppers and chopped or sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring until tender and they begin to slightly brown and carmalize. Remove and cool, then add to the scraper put squash and combine.
Toss the bread crumbs and grated cheese, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, add to the sautéed vegetables until thoroughly blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity of each squash that has been halved with the filling.
Using 2 tablespoons of the butter, grease a 12 X 18 inch low sided baking pan. Add the stock, wine, if using, and remaining 2 tablespoons parsley to the pan. If you like drizzle the top of the squash with olive oil. Bake until the squash are cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve on a warmed platter. Pour the pan juices into a small pan and bring to a boil on top of the stove. Boil until lightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon the juices over the squash.

Sunday Pot Roast — Mushroom Stuffed Summer Squash

Fresh from the Garden, Delicious Summer Squash with Peppers and Onions

June 20, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Jump to Recipe

When you grow summer squash there is an abundance when you start harvesting and you’re trying to figure out what to do with all this squash! This is my quick go to!

Easy, yet delicious! Just a few ingredients and you have a side dish for any main course!

Fresh from the Garden, Delicious Summer Squash with Peppers and Onions

I actually made this with my Chicken and Dumplings the other day! It was the perfect side dish for the dumplings. Here’s my Chicken and Dumplings recipe which you have to try! https://the2spoons.com/chicken-and-dumplings-the-perfect-comfort-food/.

My Mom would boil squash, drain it, then mash it with a potato masher. Then she would add butter, salt and pepper. It was delicious! So simple, yet so delicious. I still make it that way. You know, it’s just one of those things you ate growing up and you just crave it sometime!

I didn’t grow squash this year. A friend of ours gave us this squash. There are a couple of different summer squash. Here’s a list for future growing: https://www.thekitchn.com/a-visual-guide-to-8-varieties-of-summer-squash-220740

Fresh from the Garden, Delicious Summer Squash with Peppers and Onions

Ok, back to cooking squash! And my recipe! I really shouldn’t call this a recipe because it’s so simple!

Summer Squash with Peppers and Onions

Print Recipe

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

3-4 Yellow she merry squash or Zucchini, or Combination of the two, diced
1 Green bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
sal and pepper to taste

Method

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet to medium high. I like to use non stick skillet. add the onions and peppers and cook until they begin to soften. Add the squash, increase the heat if you need to so your ingredients will start to brown, turning as the bottom browns. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until good n brown and the squash is tender!