Category: Summer Squash

Categories
Carrots Chives Herbs Mint Onion Radish Recipes Scallions Spinach Summer Squash Sweet Peppers Watermelon Radish Zucchini/Kousa

Rice Salad

Rice salad is a versatile recipe to highlight seasonal produce.  This version uses items in the Spring CSA share but can easy be adapted to showcase produce through the rest of the year.  Portions of this recipe can be prepped ahead and once tossed together, the leftovers (if there are any) will make great lunches for a couple of days.

This recipe uses basmati rice which is made ahead and chilled.  This allows the rice to dry out a bit and it will stay more intact when tossed in a salad.  The creativity starts here, try brown rice or jasmine rice, quinoa, farro, pearled barley, couscous, lentils or chickpeas.  The key is to cook these ahead (and not over cook them) and have them chilled.

The next part of the recipe is the vegetables.  This Spring version highlights carrots, watermelon radish and onions from the share.  These items are cut approximately one inch for quick cooking, it is a more delicate salad.  That said this can morph into a more robust version using larger pieces of roasted seasonal vegetables such a squash, potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower and toss these with beans.  The vegetable choices get even broader in the summer time.  Small pieces of uncooked squash and peppers can be added for crunch.  This salad is a great vehicle for re-purposing all those extra grilled vegetables.

The freshness of fruit adds something extra to this salad.  This version uses cubed, fresh pineapple.  Imagine combinations with fresh berries, peaches, melons or apples.

The dressing, if you choose to use one is a light vinaigrette that is meant to enhance the flavors.  In the spring and summer a bright citrus vinaigrette or a light herb vinaigrette is delicious (and you get to use any herbs from the CSA share).  A balsamic vinaigrette could be used with the more robust fall and winter salads.  Make your own dressing or use your favorite bottled version.

The greens are whatever is in season.  Delicate greenhouse greens, spring kale and spinach which transitions to head lettuce, chard, broccoli raab then to kale and cabbage.  The choices and combinations are endless!

Spring Rice Salad

4 cups of cooked and chilled basmati rice

3 heaping cup of carrots and watermelon radish cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups of onions cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups of cut up fresh pineapple or canned and drained

4 scallions sliced

1 bag of spring greens (your choice)

Olive oil

Honey citrus vinaigrette or dressing of choice

  1. Saute the onions in olive oil until golden then add the watermelon radish and carrots.  Cook until crisp tender, 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your skillet.  Adding 1/4 cup of water the last 5 minutes of cooking and let the water cook until evaporated.  Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
  2. Fluff out the rice with a fork and mix in the cooled veggies, add the pineapple pieces and scallions.  The spring greens and vinaigrette can be tossed in the mixture or the rice salad can be spooned out on a bed of greens and the vinaigrette poured over, your choice.

Honey citrus vinaigrette – this mixture is a combination of a vinegar and juice with a light oil, a bit of dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper.  The approximate ratio is 1/3 oil and 2/3 vinegar and juice mix.  It really is made to taste, adjust it to what you prefer.  The amounts below will make extra that can be used in other salads throughout the week.

1/3 cup light olive oil

2/3 cup mix of apple cider vinegar (or white balsamic) and citrus juice (leftover pineapple juice was used here)

1 tablespoon of dijon mustard

2 tablespoonfuls of honey

A pinch of salt and pepper

Either whisk or shake in a mason jar.

Enjoy and share pictures of your creations with us!

 

Categories
Cilantro Garlic Onion Parsley Recipes Summer Squash Tomatoes

Summer Squash and Onion Tacos

Recipe by Stacey R.


Ingredients

  •  2-3 summer squash (zucchini, kousa, etc) sliced into 1/8 to ¼ inch slices.  Larger diameter cut in half or quarter so all the pieces are roughly the same size
  • 2-3 Farmer Dave size onions, small to medium dice
  • 1 garlic clove grated or minced (more if you like)
  • 2 -3 tsp chili powder
  • 1-2 tsp cumin
  • 1-2 tsp red pepper flake or a minced jalapeno minus the seeds
  • 3-4 tablespoonfuls of olive oil divided
  • 8 small soft taco shells corn or flour – flour is nice with the squash
  • 1 cup of sour cream mixed with ½ mashed avocado and a handful of chopped cilantro or parsley – let this hang out so the flavors mix
  • 1-2 Farmer Dave sized tomatoes deseeded and diced

Directions:

  1. Sauté onions in 2 TBSP of the olive oil over medium heat. When the onions are medium golden add the minced or grated garlic and stir.  Give the garlic 1 minute to cook. Add the desired amount of spices, I gave a range because I usually add more. Stir and let the spices toast for 1 minute. Remove onion mixture from pan to a bowl that will be large enough to toss the mixture with the squash when done.
  2. Add the remaining olive oil to the pain and increase the heat to medium high.  When the oil is hot add the squash.  Do not crowd the pan, it should fit in a single layer.  If it doesn’t cook the squash in 2 batches so it doesn’t steam.  The heat should be high enough so that the squash sears and gets caramelized on one side.  Give the contents of the pan a quick stir when the squash caramelizes on one side then remove and toss with the onion mixture.  Taste and adjust seasonings.
  3. Fill the taco shells with the squash and onion mixture, top with diced tomatoes and drizzle with sour cream mixture.
Categories
Kale Onion Recipes Summer Squash

Summer Squash and Kale Fritatta

recipe by Ginger

Ingredients
1 summer squash or zucchini, or 2 kousa, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale or swiss chard, stems removed and roughly chopped
6 eggs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or gruyere cheese
Salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon butter

Directions:
Preheat broiler.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese until combined.
In a 12 inch, oven safe skillet saute onion in butter over medium heat until beginning to caramelize. Add squash and kale and saute until squash has softened and kale is tender.
Pour egg mixture over vegetables. Sprinkle shredded cheese over eggs. Cook until eggs are set around the outside of pan but still soft in the center.
Place under broiler and bake until eggs are set. About 5 minutes.

Categories
Basil Eggplant Garlic Onion Peppers Recipes Summer Squash Sweet Peppers Tomatoes Zucchini/Kousa

Slow-Cooked Ratatouille

Adapted by Farmer Dave’ s from Epicurious.com

Ingredients
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 large eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 10 1/2 cups)
  • 3 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 1/2 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 small to medium onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 3 1/2 cups)
  • 2 sweet peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 4 cups chopped tomatoes, juices reserved
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 10 grinds black pepper
  • 1/2 cup packed freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1/4 pound)
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
  1. Grease the slow cooker with cooking spray.
  2. Add eggplant and zucchini to the greased slow cooker. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. When warm, add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. As soon as it melts, add the flour and tomato paste, and cook until the mixture is thickened and the flour disappears, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium high and add the tomatoes with their juices, thyme, and pepper. Cook, crushing the tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon, until thickened and smooth, about 6 minutes. Mix with the vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 hours. Uncover and remove from the heat; immediately stir in the cheese and basil.
  3. Delicious served over pasta, cheesy grits or polenta.
Categories
Arugula Basil Parsley Recipes Summer Squash

Ginger’s Shaved Summer Squash and Herb salad with Hazelnuts

 Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a lunch


Ingredients

 

  • 4 Summer squash or zucchini
  • 1 handful parsley, chopped
  • 1 handful basil, chopped
  • 1 handful arugula, torn into pieces (optional)
  • 1/2 cup hazelnuts (or almonds)
  • Parmesan or Romano cheese
  • 1 lemon
  • 2-3 Tablespoons hazelnut oil ( olive oil would work but the hazelnut paired really nicely)
  • 1 garlic scape, minced (I threw it in the food processor) or 1 garlic clove
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Lettuce (optional)

Directions

 

1) Cut the ends off the squash. Using a vegetable peeler or mandolin shave into ribbons working from each side towards the center and discarding the core.
2) In a large bowl toss squash ribbons with parsley, basil and the zest of one lemon.
 3) In a small bowl whisk together the juice of one lemon with hazelnut oil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
 4) Pour marinade over squash, toss thoroughly and let sit for 30 minutes.
 5) Meanwhile, toast hazelnuts in a pan or quickly under the broiler. When cool, chop into small pieces.
 6) Before serving, toss herbs and arugula with squash.

7) Serve topped with toasted nuts and shaved Parmesan as a side or on a bed of lettuce for a lunch salad.

Categories
Fennel Garlic Onion Parsley Recipes Summer Squash

Stuffed Squash with Italian Sausage and Fennel

Ingredients (quantities listed are for 6-8 small-medium assorted squashes. You can increase or decrease the quantities depending on how many squashes you will be stuffing):

  • 6-8 assorted squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out (or for patty pan squash, remove a slice off the top and scoop out the seeds)
  • 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (bulk, or with casings removed)
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa (or other grain of choice)
  • 1 bunch parsley (basil would also work here, as would smaller quantities of oregano or sage)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 small onions, chopped
  • 2 small bulbs fennel, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • shredded pecorino cheese, optional but strongly suggested!

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, saute onions and fennel in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. In a separate skillet, cook the Italian sausage until done. Drain the excess fat and discard.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, sausage, sauteed vegetables, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Stuff the squash with the filling, and arrange them on a baking sheet. Cover if desired (this will yield a moister result). Bake until the squash is tender.

6. Serve with shredded pecorino cheese on top if desired.

Categories
Corn Cucumbers Peppers Recipes Scallions Summer Squash Sweet Peppers Zucchini/Kousa

BBQ Pasta Salad

BBQ Pasta Salad

Made by Stacey R. for the 2014 CSA Member Appreciation Potluck

Ingredients:

  • 1 Box Whole Wheat pasta – ziti
  • 1 Lg bunch or 2-3 small of scallions sliced
  • 3 ears of sweet corn cut off the cob
  • 2-3 summer squash – depending on size
  • 2-3 zucchini – depending on size
  • 1-2 cukes – depending on size
  • Combo of three peppers (green/red/orange/yellow)
  • 1 package of all-beef kielbasa – diced
  • Dressing is a half and half mix of BBQ sauce and ranch dressing and black pepper to taste.
Directions:

1)      Cook pasta – make it slightly underdone (I took a minute off the cooking time)

2)      Dice kielbasa and cook over med heat until brown.

3)      While the above is cooking – cut the squashes, cukes and peppers into a medium dice (easy to eat) and put in a large bowl.

4)      Add the scallions and corn.

5)      When done, drain the pasta and add to the bowl along with the kielbasa and toss gently.

6)      My dressing was made with Sweet Baby Rays – sweet and spicy BBQ sauce mixed with Ranch dressing – 1 cup each then black pepper to taste.

Use your favorite BBQ sauce.  I toss the salad with about ½ of the dressing let it cool a bit then toss with the rest.

The hot pasta will absorb the dressing.

Sometimes I have to make a bit more dressing, you just have to eye it.

Categories
Eggplant Recipes Summer Squash Sweet Peppers Zucchini/Kousa

Ratatouille Tart

Ratatoille Tart
from Smitten Kitchen

Made by Riley M. for the 2014 CSA Member Appreciation Potluck

Ingredients:

  • 14 ounces frozen puff pastry, defrosted in the fridge overnight*
  • 1 Asian eggplant
  • 1 smallish zucchini
  • 1 smallish yellow squash
  • 1 longish red bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi) or canned plain tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Few sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 cup crumbled feta

Directions:

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly flour a work surface, lay the sheet of pastry out, and gently roll until it measures about 11 x 15 inches. Slide the pastry onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prick the pastry all over with a fork, at about 1-inch intervals.
  2. Spread the tomato puree or sauce evenly over the pastry, leaving a one-inch border around the edges.
  3. Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.
  4. On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.
  5. Arrange slightly overlapped slices of vegetables concentrically or in rows over the tomato puree or sauce, alternative vegetables. You’ll probably have a few leftover.
  6. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle de-stemmed thyme leaves over the vegetables.
  7. Bake in the heated oven until the pastry is puffed and browned (including on the bottom), 25 to 30 min and the vegetables look softened. Slide onto a cutting board, sprinkle with the feta, and cut into squares or strips. (A pizza wheel worked surprisingly well for this.) Serve warm or at room temperature.
Categories
Basil Garlic Onion Recipes Spinach Summer Squash Zucchini/Kousa

Sheryl’s Stuffed Patty Pan Squash

Sheryl’s Stuffed Patty Pan Squash
This recipe is courtesy of Sheryl, who runs our Friday afternoon pick up at Brox Farm Stand in Dracut.  Sheryl notes: This recipe is very versatile and I have noted replacements or additions/omissions.  Ingredients reflect what I used in this variation.
 
Patty Pan is a type of summer squash and is used and eaten like a zucchini.  Do not peel, the entire fruit is eaten.  It is sweeter than other summer squashes and has a very nice flavor and texture. 
Ingredients:
  • 3 Patty Pan Squash or other squash such as zucchini, kousa or summer squash
  • 1 Medium (7-8″) Kousa squash, (or use zucchini, summer squash) (You may want to use two if you are omitting the rice.)
  • 1/2 Cup Onions, Chopped (or shallots, scallions, or green onions)
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 2 Cups Fresh Spinach (can also used chopped frozen spinach)
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Cup Rice (cooked, or you can use bread crumbs, wild rice, or other ‘filler’ or omit completely for lower carb version)
  • 1 Cup Cheese, shredded (such as cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan)
  • 2 Tsp Fresh Basil, chopped
  • 2 Tsp Perfect Pinch (or other spice blend of your choice)
  • 2 Tsp Salt
  • 1/4 Tsp Pepper (or to taste)
  • 1 Egg
Directions:
Cut Patty Pan Squash in half horizontally (you will use both halves). Scoop out the insides, including all seeds, leaving it in a nice bowl shape.  Save the insides – you will use them.
If necessary, cut a little bit more off top and bottoms of the squash so it doesn’t rock around in the pan.  Place squash in a steamer, open side up.  You can also just place squash in 1 inch of boiling water.  Cover and let steam for about 12-15 minutes.   You can turn them over about 2/3 of the way through for more even cooking.  You want it just so that a fork can easily penetrate – not fully cooked.  Save liquid for now.  Remove squash from steamer and place in a lined and/or sprayed roasting pan. (12×18)
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
While squash halves are steaming, cook the stuffing.
Chop up insides of the squash, chop and mix in the Kousa or zucchini.  Put aside for now.  Chop onions and garlic and spinach  Keep all ingredients separate for now.
Place Olive oil in large skillet, let heat for 1 minute, then add butter and let melt.  Add onions, cook for 3 minutes, then add garlic and only cook until it become aromatic (do not brown).  Add basil and cook for 1 minute.  Push onion/garlic/basil aside or remove, then add kousa and chopped insides of patty pan, cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Mix Onions/garlic back into the squash.  Add Perfect Pinch, salt and pepper. Add chopped spinach and cook until all ingredients are just tender.  Don’t over cook. If more moisture is needed, you can use some of the liquid from the patty pan steamer, just 1/4 cup at a time to keep from sticking.  You do not want the mixture to be mushy or wet.
Add cooked rice – it can be cold, it will warm up as it is mixed in.  Just mix in rice, no need to cook it.  Turn off heat, add cheese, let melt for a minute or so.
Beat egg in side bowl.  If stuffing is still hot, let it cool down and then temper** with the egg.  Don’t mix the egg in directly or it will cook.
Add the egg in and then evenly mound the stuffing into each of the Patty Pan squash halves.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.  Serve immediately and yes, the entire squash is eaten.
** To temper the egg, just take a spoonful of the warm mixture and quickly stir it into the beaten egg.  Add another spoonful or two and beat with egg.  Then you can add the egg mixture into the warm mixture and it will not cook the egg.
Categories
Garlic Scapes Recipes Summer Squash

Ginger Summer Squash with garlic scapes

from Emma Van Pelt

Ingredients:
2 summer squash, cubed
3 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh ginger
2 tsp. olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag. Toss around to evenly coat summer squash. Then, place in a roasting pan at 450 for 30 minutes. Serve on top of seasoned chickpeas.