Be kind. They’re sensitive. Squash keep for several days refrigerated in plastic bags, but their skins are tender, so take care not to bump or nick them. This tender skin means you don’t need to peel them, and in fact it’s best not to, because it holds the flesh together. There are a few heirloom varieties, however, that have nubbier skins, and in some cases are covered with tiny soft prickers. I just scrub those well, taking care not to abrade the skin.
Bland flavor needs intense heat. I like to use summer squashes raw when I get the truly young and fresh ones. These firm specimens are also perfect for pickling, very thinly sliced on a mandoline into flexible ribbons. When I cook squash, I always turn the heat up high—squash needs a hot, fast treatment, which will brown the outside and enhance the flavors while keeping the interior flesh from overcooking and becoming soggy. I’ll usually salt squash in the same way that I do cucumbers (see cucumbers)—this draws out water and firms up the flesh. No need to peel before salting, and unless the seeds are well developed, don’t scoop them out. For most of my squash recipes, you’ll leave the halves intact, rather than slicing.
In the field Both male and female squash plants produce flowers. But in your garden, you’ll want to pick the males and leave the females to produce more squash. Male flowers stand up on tall stems (of course!), while the females stay closer to the plant.
Squash Ribbons with Tomatoes, Peanuts, Basil, Mint, and Spicy Fish-Sauce Sauce
Getting the squash ribbons really thin requires a mandoline slicer, but if you don’t have one, do your best with a sharp knife to very thinly slice the zucchini. The flavors in this dish riff on those in the classic Thai green papaya salad—a deliciously vibrant collision of spicy, salty, tangy, herbal, and nutty. Once you have your spicy fish-sauce sauce made, the dish takes no time to assemble.
» Serves 4
4 firm medium zucchini or a mix of zucchini and yellow summer squash
Kosher salt
1 pint cherry tomatoes (a mix of colors is nice), halved
½ cup salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 bunch scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well
1 small handful basil leaves
1 small handful mint leaves
¼ cup Spicy Fish-Sauce Sauce
Extra-virgin olive oil
Using a mandoline, carefully slice the zucchini from the bottom to the top to create very thin ribbons of squash. (If you don’t have a mandoline, just cut the zucchini into very thin crosswise slices, to create rounds.) Toss the squash with 1 teaspoon salt and put in a colander so the salt can draw out excess moisture. Let them sit for 30 minutes. Blot the squash on paper towels to remove the moisture and excess salt. Pile into a large bowl.
Add the tomatoes, peanuts, scallions, basil, and mint. Pour in the spicy fish-sauce sauce and toss again. Taste and decide whether the salad needs more salt. Add ¼ cup olive oil and toss again. Do a final taste and toss, arrange on plates, and serve right away.
Grilled or Roasted Summer Squash with Caper-Raisin Vinaigrette
Recipe for a perfect midweek summer dinner: Prep the squash, sling some chicken thighs on the grill, and when the chicken is close to being done, add the squash halves. As the chicken rests a few minutes, toss the squash with the vinaigrette and the other ingredients. Bingo, you’ve got a meal that’s both elemental and exciting, and took just about no time to prepare (you’ve got a batch of the caper-raisin vinaigrette in your fridge, right?).
» Serves 4
1½ pounds firm small summer squash (a mix of shapes and colors)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, preferably Sun Golds
Extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup Caper-Raisin Vinaigrette
¼ cup Dried Breadcrumbs
Trim off the ends of the squash and halve lengthwise (with round or pattypans, cut through the “equator”). Salt the squash on their cut faces with 2 teaspoons salt and leave to drain for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours (if for more than 2 hours, transfer to the refrigerator).
Blot the squash with paper towels to remove moisture and excess salt.
Heat a grill or the broiler to high.
Cook the squash—without oil—until both sides are lightly browned and the squash is just barely tender; you still want some resistance in the center.
Pile the squash into a bowl, tumble in the tomatoes, and drizzle with a glug of olive oil, the chile flakes, several twists of black pepper, and the lemon juice, and toss gently. Add the caper-raisin vinaigrette and toss again. Taste and adjust the flavors with more salt (though the squash is likely to be quite salty), chile flakes, black pepper, or lemon.
Arrange on a platter and shower with the breadcrumbs. Serve at room temperature.
Squash and “Tuna Melt” Casserole
Let’s all just acknowledge that we love tuna melts, shall we? Here we capture the tuna-cheese flavor combo that is so good, and apply it to summer squash as a way to make a tuna melt more nutritious . . . and summer squash more flavorful!
» Serves 4
1½ pounds firm small summer squash (aim for different shapes and colors)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 bunches scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes
Two 5-ounce cans oil-packed tuna
1½ cups shredded good-quality extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Trim off the ends of the squash and halve lengthwise (with round or pattypan squash, cut through the “equator”). Salt the squash on their cut faces with 2 teaspoons salt and leave to drain for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours (if for more than 2 hours, transfer to the refrigerator).
Heat a big glug of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, thyme, chile flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and several twists of black pepper. Cook until the scallions are soft and fragrant but not actually browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Take them off the heat, and when cool enough to taste, adjust the seasoning with more of any of the spices or the thyme.
Heat the oven to 450°F.
Spread the squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet (or two, if needed, to avoid crowding). Roast until slightly shrunken and browned on the cut sides, on the way to tender, but not at all mushy. Cooking time will depend on the size and shape of your squash, but for a typical slender 6-inch zucchini, this should take about 15 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
Arrange the squash pieces in a baking dish that will fit them all snugly in one layer, this time cut side up. Distribute the scallions over the surfaces. Flake and crumble the tuna in an even layer over the scallions and then top evenly with the cheddar.
Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is nicely melted and beginning to bubble and brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Fried Stuffed Zucchini Flowers, Zucchini Jojos, and Zucchini Pickles
This recipe is a perfect triple threat: lightly battered and fried zucchini in three different forms, including long, fat wedges that we call Jojos in Oregon. Each is delicious on its own, if you’re in the mood to be simple, but all three arrayed on a platter—crisp, golden, and showered with Parmigiano-Reggiano—make a stunning and delicious summer antipasto. The squash blossoms can be battered, fried, and served plain, or you can stuff them with a delicate ricotta filling, as I do here. The recipe for this dish looks long, but it’s actually simple. The key is getting everything set up and in place before you start to fry.
» Serves 6
12 to 16 ribbons of zuc
chini pickle
Zucchini wedges
3 slender young zucchini or other summer squash, about 6 inches long, ends trimmed
Kosher salt
Squash blossoms
½ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
3 or 4 basil leaves, torn into pieces
6 to 8 medium mint leaves, torn into pieces
2 scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 squash blossoms
Deep-frying and batter
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 1 cup sparkling water
For serving
Kosher salt
1 small handful whole mint and basil leaves
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for grating
6 lemon wedges
for the zucchini wedges: Slice the zucchini lengthwise into quarters, like long Jojo-style fries. Arrange the quarters on a rack or platter and sprinkle the cut surfaces with 2 teaspoons salt. Let the slices sit for at least 1 hour and up to overnight (if for more than 2 hours, transfer to the refrigerator). Blot the zucchini with paper towels to remove moisture and excess salt.
For the squash blossoms: Stir together the ricotta, pine nuts, basil, mint, scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, and chile flakes. Taste and then season the filling generously with salt and pepper.
Gently pry open the petals of the squash blossoms and shake out any dirt or leaves. Pinch off the stamens (the brightly colored bits on the inside). If the flowers still have stems, leave them on.
Fill the flowers using your fingers and a small spoon (unless you want to get fancy and use a piping bag, which would make the job easy). Gently twist the tips of the petals together to seal the flowers.
For deep-frying: Arrange a double layer of paper towels on a tray or baking sheet and set it near your stove. Pour at least 3 inches of vegetable oil into a large pan (with tall enough sides to prevent the oil from bubbling over when you add the items). Slowly bring the oil up to 375°F on a thermometer. (Or fry a small piece of bread: When it takes 60 seconds to get nicely crisp and brown, but not burnt, your oil is just about right.)
As the oil is heating, make the batter: Whisk the cornstarch, flour, chile flakes, and salt and black pepper in a medium bowl so they’re well blended. Whisk in the sparkling water a bit at a time until you have the consistency of thin pancake batter; you may not need all the water or you may need a touch more.
When the oil is ready, blot any remaining moisture from the salted zucchini wedges and all the moisture from the pickled zucchini ribbons and set them on plates.
Start with the zucchini wedges. Dip a wedge into the batter, let the excess drip off, and carefully immerse it in the hot oil. You can use tongs for this or, if you’re handy with chopsticks, use wooden chopsticks. Fry until the coating is puffed and very light golden (these will not get deeply colored). Transfer to the paper towels to drain. Continue frying a few at a time; don’t add too many wedges at once because that will cause the oil temperature to drop and the zucchini will get greasy.
Once all the zucchini wedges are fried, continue with the squash blossoms, and finally with the pickled zucchini. (If you’re worried that the zucchini will get cold, you can hold things in a warm oven.) Turn off the heat under the oil.
Arrange the fried tasties on a serving platter, sprinkle with salt, mint and basil leaves, and finely grated Parmigiano, and serve with the lemon wedges.
Season Four
Late Summer
The days begin to grow shorter. The sunlight takes on a more golden glow as it streams from a lower angle, hinting that our warm days are numbered. The fields have had months of sunshine and warmth. Just about everything is going crazy. We still have the vegetables that joined the party early in the season, but now we get the quintessential hot-weather delights: corn, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers. Shell beans are in season now, too, and while not as succulent as these other late-summer entries, they are a treat to enjoy when fresh, and perfect for harvesting and storing for the fall and winter to come.
Throughout the year, my cooking is influenced not simply by the vegetables I have available but by the vibe of the season as well. At this point of the summer, the vibe is “party.” The range of colors is full spectrum, and stone fruit, melons, and berries are on deck, too, great partners for the vibrant vegetables.
I know the nights will soon begin to cool, making me even more appreciative of the crazy good opportunities for deliciousness.
Recipes of Late Summer
Raw Corn with Walnuts, Mint, and Chiles
Corn and Tomato Salad with Torn Croutons
Sautéed Corn Four Ways
Grilled Corn with Alla Diavola Butter and Pecorino
Corn, Tomatoes, and Clams on Grilled Bread, Knife-and-Fork–Style
Corn Fritters with Pickled Chiles
Carta di Musica with Roasted Eggplant Spread, Herbs, and Ricotta Salad
Roasted Eggplant Spread
Grilled Eggplant with Tomatoes, Torn Croutons, and Lots of Herbs
Rigatoni and Eggplant alla Norma
Braised Eggplant and Lamb with Yogurt and Spiced Green Sauce
Preserved Eggplant
Roasted Pepper Panzanella
Peperonata
Red Pepper, Potato, and Prosciutto Frittata Topped with Ricotta
Cheese-Stuffed and Pan-Fried Sweet Peppers
Sweet and Hot Peppers, ’Nduja, and Melted Cheese
Perfect Shell Beans
Beans on Toast
Beans and Pasta
Risotto with Shell Beans, Sausage, and Bitter Greens
Crunchy Mixed-Bean Salad with Celery and Tarragon
Tomato-Rubbed Grilled Bread Topped with Tomato Salad
Farro with Tomatoes, Raw Corn, Mint, Basil, and Scallions
Tomato, Melon, and Hot Chile Salad with Burrata
Israeli-Spiced Tomatoes, Yogurt Sauce, and Chickpeas
Spaghetti with Small Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil, and Chiles
Grilled Green Tomatoes with Avocado, Feta, and Watermelon
Grilled Green Tomatoes with Avocado, Feta, and Watermelon
Tomato Conserva
Corn
I’m happy to see heirloom varieties of corn showing up at markets. That’s something to celebrate, given that the vast majority of corn grown in this country is commodity corn grown for fuel or animal food.
Peek, don’t pull. When choosing corn, don’t do the pull-down-the-husk thing. That just exposes the kernels and causes them to dry out. Look for ears that are heavy for their size and whose husks feel moist and tight, not papery and loose. If the silks are still attached, they shouldn’t be dried out or moldy (though if the corn was picked on a rainy day, the silks could be wet and yet the corn is perfect). If you must peek at the kernels, just pry open the top of the husk.
Caterpillars also like corn, so if you see one inside, don’t freak out, just gently scootch it off the corn and into the compost.
A fleeting pleasure. The sugars and juice that make corn so amazing quickly convert to starch, especially if you refrigerate it. So try to buy corn the day you’ll use it; farmers say not to pick the corn until the water is already boiling, but we can’t all be that lucky.
Corn season is short because all the ears ripen and get harvested at about the same time. When it first shows up, I eat as much of it raw as I can, and when I do cook it, it barely se
es any heat.
Off the cob. When eating corn on the cob, just peel off and tear away the husks and then get rid of the pesky silks. Grasp a section of silk at the tip and pull it away. Inevitably a few will remain, so live with them, or wipe them away with a damp paper towel.
To separate the kernels from the cob, lay the cob on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, slice the kernels off one side. Rotate the cob to that cut side and slice the kernels from the next side; continue until the cob is kernel-free. Slice deep enough to get most of the juicy kernel, but not so deep that you’re including a lot of the tough mesh of the cob. Once all the kernels are off, scrape the cobs with the back side of the knife (the dull spine) to coax out the sweet milky juice.
Yank hard on two sides of the husk to pop out the ear. To remove kernels from the cob, just slice off one side, rotate the cob, and repeat until the cob is kernel-free.
Raw Corn with Walnuts, Mint, and Chiles
The classic grilled Mexican corn on the cob (elote)—served with chile powder, lime, mayo, and Cotija cheese—inspired this dish. You can eat this like a salad, served on a platter family-style, or you can serve it more like a relish.
» Serves 4 as a first course
2 ears sweet corn, husked, kernels sliced off into a bowl
⅓ cup roughly chopped lightly toasted walnuts
1 or 2 small fresh hot chiles, such as jalapeño, seeded, deribbed, and minced
4 scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well
Small handful mint leaves
½ lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Six Seasons Page 20