8 Ways to Cook Zucchini and Squash

I'm finally coming up for air after the zucchini / summer squash / patty pan tsunami washed over my kitchen. I didn't keep a running tally, but I'm estimating that 50 pounds of squash has been harvested so far. It has slowed down a lot. Yesterday was the first day I didn't harvest a single squash (!) since the onslaught began.

My favorite way to cook is to look into the fridge or panty, and build a meal from what's at hand. The hulking basket of squash has spurred, nay, demanded inspiration and creativity. Instead of the usual question, "What's for dinner?" I start with the answer. "Ok, it's zucchini. But how?"

How indeed. Here's a roundup of what's been cooking, what worked, what flopped, and other suggestions:

1. Grilled - I have been missing out on my hands-down-favorite way to eat zucchini and squash. The simpler, the better. I slice lengthwise into 1/4 - 1/2 inch slices, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, maybe a dash of balsamic vinegar, perhaps a hit of rosemary. Slap it on a hot BBQ, flip when it's brown. Eat. Makes delicious grilled veggie sandwiches.

2. Stuffed Zucchini - Many years ago I came up with a delicious stuffed zucchini (or zu-canoe) recipe for picnic dinner at Tanglewood fare. I can't remember it exactly, but I seem to recall raisins getting tossed in, and some cheese melted over the top. I will try to re-create and get back to you.

3. Sauteed - Of course, there's always a quick sautee with garlic, which makes a nice side dish. I really like to add the sauteed zucchini to tomato sauce to make a heartier pasta dish.

Zucchini Muffins

4. Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread - The winner of the zucchini product popularity contest in my house was zucchini bread. I found this recipe, which was easy to double for a big batch so I made some muffins and some loaves. I ate four muffins the first day, and it was all gone in a week. I'd like to tweak the recipe a little before I call it my own, so a recipe will follow soon. I can say that I made a quick batch of muffins this morning using all whole wheat flour instead of white, and it was every bit as yummy, and I felt ever-so-slightly less guilty about the chocolate chips. My real moment of pride was when Ben's son, a notoriously picky eater, ate two muffins without even noticing that they contained a dreaded vegetable!


5. Stuffed Patty Pan Squash - Then there was failure. I like stuffed things. I like squash. I really like bacon and cheese. So I thought I'd struck gold with this recipe. The instructions say to steam the squash in 1 inch of water for 10 minutes or until a fork can pierce the skin. This is to make it possible to scoop out the insides and make way for bacon, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and oh yeah, a little more squash. Enter user error here. I left them cooking too long, and the way I arranged them in the pot led to uneven cooking. So I had mushy, watery, over cooked squash. I thought stuffing and baking would make up for this, but the result was a damp bacon-y mush in the middle of a bland, soggy squash. I still think the ingredients are good so I'm envisioning a version that's more like a casserole, with squash below and a bacon, breadcrumb, parmesan crumble on top.

Sauteed Squash for Casserole

6. Polenta Squash Casserole - Adaptation and sucess! I used this recipe for inspiration, changed it based on what was in my pantry, and found a real winner. It called for pre-cooked packaged polenta to be lightly fried. I prefer the softer, grits-consistency polenta, and I happened to have some course ground cornmeal from a local farmer and friend. Making coarse polenta from scratch took some time but little effort. I followed the directions here. It was great, even though I forgot all about the butter, cream and cheese! I sauteed all the squash with garlic, onions, and the mix of herbs growing in my garden: basil, oregano, and flat leaf parsley. I layered the bottom of baking pan with the polenta, then sauteed squash, marinara sauce, and cheese, and then baked. (I had shredded cheddar in the firdge, but I would have preferred mozzarella.) It was amazing hot, and surprisingly good as a cold lunch.

7. Zuccaghetti - My cousin sent over a recipe for a creamy zucchini 'spaghetti'. I used 1/2 zucchini and 1/2 yellow squash. I substituted the herbs listed there for my garden blend: basil, oregano, and parsley. I don't own a mandolin. Frankly, I'm afraid of them. But I was able to get long "spaghetti" by running the squash lengthwise down the bigger holes on my grater. The process of sprinkling the grated squash with salt and leaving them to 'weep' gives them a semi-soft, still crunchy texture. After I tossed in the dressing, I was eating it out of the bowl with my bare hands. I think it would be a perfect side to a thick steak; the cool and creamy next to the warm and meaty.

Jar ready for pickles!

8. Pickles - When in doubt, pickle. Every time I see a journal or vase with an image of a bird stamped on it, my brain reflexively intones the Portlandia mantra of "Put a bird on it". Now they have imprinted me once again with the catchphrase "We can pickle that!" And so, when all else fails, I turn to the pickle. The cucumbers are starting to come in this week, so Ben and I set to work on Friday, and put up 24 quarts of pickles - some cucumber, a ton of patty pan squash, and even one jar of turnips. I used an untested mix of spices - based on what was on my spice rack. In another week or two when the pickles are ready to taste test, I'll let you know how they turned out.