Summer is officially here, and so is local summer squash. The blossoms and bold hues of the many available varieties of squash began brightening up area farmers markets in June, and remain a market staple through September.
Squash Casserole from Early Girl Eatery
Ingredients: 2 tbsp butter 3 zucchini, thinly sliced (about 4 cups) 3 yellow squash, thinly sliced (about 4 cups) 1 cup onion, diced 1/2 cup celery, diced 1 clove garlic, minced
4 eggs, beaten 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 1/2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped 1 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 1/2 tsp Tabasco 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp sugar 3 cups dried bread crumbs
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking dish, dust with bread crumbs and set aside. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until edges of onion turn golden brown.
Add garlic and cook another minute, then add squash and cook until tender and slightly brown, approximately 10 minutes.
Set aside and let cool. In a medium bowl, combine the beaten eggs, cheeses, basil, parsley, Tabasco, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sugar, then set aside.
Pulse a third of the squash mixture in a food processor until chunky-smooth.
Add to the bowl with the rest of the squash, egg, and cheese mixture, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with a coating of bread crumbs.
Bake 35-40 minutes.
“Local squash is bursting with flavor, tender and soft — not waxy,” says John Stehling, who owns Early Girl Eatery with his wife, Julie. Shanon Blair, co-owner of the recently opened Green Light Café with her husband Michael, agrees. “When they’re locally grown, they’re picked properly and are a lot sweeter,” she says. Squash that is grown locally is less likely to have that “weird bitter bite” most of us have experienced at least once with trucked-in squash.
Both John and Shanon favor simpler preparations of the summer crop. John likes to grill his in the open air with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, while Shanon prefers hers lightly sautéed with salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar and any fresh herbs she has on hand.
From the simple to the more complex, when it comes to squash, the options are endless. “They’re like blue jeans,” John remarks. “They go with almost everything.”
Sure summer squash makes a great side dish, but imagine it on top of cheeseburgers or salads. Squash casserole makes a great summer treat, as do breads, rice pilaf, omelets, kabobs and soups. Shanon has even tried it pickled, and enjoys using julienned raw squash as a spaghetti substitute.
John suggests trying all the varieties available at tailgate markets — besides zucchini, there are patty pans, zephyrs, and crook necks.
If squash blossoms are considered uncharted territory, he recommends trying this simple, flavorful approach: Just sauté diced carrots, celery, onion, squash and herbs in olive oil, then toss in a little goat cheese and combine to make a stuffing mixture. Gently stuff the blossom and twist the end closed. Dredge the stuffed blossom in egg wash and flour or cornmeal and fry lightly until slightly crisp and brown.
Squash is available right now on the menus of Early Girl and Green Light, as well as other local eateries, as part of Get Local, a program of Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (www.asapconnections.org). The program brings together restaurants around the region to highlight a single seasonal ingredient in their own unique dishes. Check out recipes provided for the squash specialties of the restaurateurs mentioned here.
Raw Cashew Alfredo (Vegan) from Green Light Café
Ingredients: 2 cups cashews soaked in 1 cup water 1 cup almond milk 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1 clove garlic, minced Salt to taste
Instructions: Blend soaked cashews with remaining ingredients until creamy. Add water if needed for desired thickness.
Serve over julienned slices of raw squash and zucchini, and top with fresh basil and tomato.
…and blueberries, too
Blueberries recently joined squash and other summer fruits and veggies at markets and have been going fast. Larger quantities will be available at markets this week and over the next couple of months.
Their arrival signals the home stretch of the wait for local tomatoes, which hit the scene in late July. But the wait’s over for green tomatoes; they’re available now at select locations, including the Black Mountain Tailgate Market. You can also find tomato plants at markets, along with other vegetable and herb starts, for your own garden.
Thanks so much! I love the recipes.