Summer squash can be as pleasant and colorful as the season they are named for. They come in many shades of yellow and green and can add substance and flavor to everything from muffins to tacos to stews. As Martha Rose Shulman writes in this week’s Recipes for Health:
Walk through any farmers’ market in July and you will see such an array of summer squash: yellow and green zucchini, yellow crooknecks, round green rondelles de Nice, light green Calabasas, and pattypans in varying sizes and shades of green and yellow. This week I began thinking about whether certain types of summer squash lend themselves to particular types of dishes. If we dice the squash, no matter what they look like in the market they are often no longer distinguishable when cooked.
The big pattypan squash I brought home from the market were large and heavy, weighing close to a pound each. It occurred to me that if I grilled or roasted very thick slices they’d be juicy, a sort of pattypan “steak” that I could top with a pungent sauce.
I used my other squash for salads and tacos and for a bean and squash ragout, and I grated some for delicious muffins. I seared it for the tacos and found that the light green, more bulbous squash and the darker green and yellow zucchini all worked interchangeably for these. For searing, the denser the squash the better.
Here are five new ways to enjoy summer squash this season.
Grilled or Roasted Pattypan ‘Steaks’ With Italian Salsa Verde: This is a perfect dish for great big pattypan squash, cut into juicy steaklike slices.
Seared Summer Squash and Egg Tacos: At breakfast, lunch or dinner, these hearty vegetarian tacos deliver a delicious seared flavor.
White Bean, Summer Squash and Tomato Ragout: This hearty mixture is satisfying on its own or as an accompaniment to pasta or whole grains.
Zucchini and Apricot Muffins: These not-too-sweet whole-wheat muffins are a good destination for a surplus of summer squash.
Summer Squash and Red Rice Salad With Lemon and Dill: Thinly sliced squash is marinated in lemon juice and garlic to give this salad a flavorful punch.