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RECIPE ROUNDUP
Enjoy This Versatile, Abundant Summer Treat
By Kevin Hargis
It’s the time of the year when backyard gardens are reaching their zenith, and if you planted zucchini, yellow or pattypan squash—perhaps even all three—an avalanche of the sweet, tender vegetables likely awaits.
I’ve only had luck with summer squash a couple of times in my gardening career, the failures coming from too little rain or too much or those pesky bugs that munch on the stems and rob the plant of nutrients. But when the squash crop came in, it came in a flood, and it became a fixture at many meals and a gift to many friends.
It’s a good thing that squash is such a versatile ingredient, because there’s so much of it.
Luckily, inventive cooks have created summer squash dishes suitable for breakfast, lunch and supper, and yet, sometimes that’s not enough to use it all. Family, friends and co-workers are next in line to receive the bounty of the garden.
But even if you don’t have a garden or know a gardener, summer squash is available year-round in this part of the country.
One of my favorite ways to fix squash is to slice it in a pan with an onion, garlic and a few tomatoes and let it simmer until it’s soft. My wife introduced me to the joys of yellow squash boiled in a little water, a little sugar and a touch of butter. And squash is also great sliced in half, brushed with olive oil and dusted with herbs and placed on the grill alongside chicken or steak.
I’d never thought about making soup with summer squash until I ran across this recipe. It comes from the book 300 Sensational Soups (Robert Rose, 2008) written by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds. The authors not only deliver a variety of traditional soups that span the globe, they also provide recipes for interesting accompaniments and some unusual soup flavors.
Among the broths featuring ingredients as varied as melon, peanuts or cauliflower is this one showcasing two types of summer squash.
PATTYPAN AND SUMMER SQUASH SOUP
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds pattypan squash (about 2), diced
1 1/2 pounds summer squash (about 4), diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup whipping cream
Pinch cayenne pepper
Black pepper to taste
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and cumin; sauté until onion starts to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add pattypan and summer squash (zucchini, yellow squash or both); sauté until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato, wine and salt; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.
Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in cream, cayenne and black pepper. Ladle into bowls; top with Avocado and Grape Tomato Salsa and garnish with croutons, if desired.
Serving size: 2 cups. Per serving: 214 calories, 3.4 g protein, 11.1 g fat, 20.3 g carbohydrates, 1,230 mg sodium, 6 mg cholesterol.
Avocado and Grape Tomato Salsa
1 avocado, diced
1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
Combine ingredients in bowl. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately or cover and store up to 2 hours in refrigerator.
Serving size: 2 tablespoons. Per serving: 62 calories, 1.1 g protein, 4.7 g fat, 5.2 g carbohydrates, 101 mg sodium, trace cholesterol.
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HOME COOKING
Recipe Contest Winner: Virginia Barosh, Wharton County Electric Cooperative
Prize-Winning Recipe: Zucchini Chocolate Orange Cake
The Summer Squash recipe contest brought a bumper crop of entries. But the winner was not hard to pick. It may sound incongruous, but this chocolate cake is packed with zucchini. It’s rich, moist and full of flavor and was a clear favorite among our taste testers.
Cook’s Tip: Most of the nutritional value in summer squash lies in the peel.
ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE ORANGE CAKE
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
3 cups grated zucchini
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Glaze
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour Bundt pan or spray with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Blend in eggs, vanilla and milk. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Fold in zucchini, orange zest and nuts.
Pour into Bundt pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool, invert on serving plate then drizzle with glaze.
Glaze
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix all together, adding a few more drops of juice if needed for correct consistency. Serves 16.
Serving size: 1 slice. Per serving: 360 calories, 5.4 g protein, 14.2 g fat, 53.8 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber, 360 mg sodium, 63 mg cholesterol.
CRISPY ZUCCHINI
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
4 medium zucchini
1 cup finely crushed whole wheat cracker crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard, basil, oregano, salt and garlic and set aside. Scrub zucchini and remove tips. Cut into half-inch thick slices. Combine cracker crumbs and cheese on plate. Dip each zucchini slice into herbed mayonnaise, then roll in crumb mixture. Place a half inch apart on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15-20 minutes or until slices are browned and crisp. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired, and serve immediately.
Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 162 calories, 8.8 g protein, 4.9 g fat, 20.9 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 478 mg sodium, 11 mg cholesterol.
Doris DuPree
Wise Electric Cooperative
BAKED PEPPER-CHEESE SQUASH
2 pounds summer squash
8 slices bacon
1 large onion
8 ounces shredded jalapeño or pepper jack cheese
1/2 to 1 cup dried bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Boil squash until tender. Fry bacon until crisp and remove from pan. Peel onion and slice into rings. Brown onion in portion of bacon drippings. Crumble bacon. In 9-by-9-inch baking pan, layer half of squash, then bacon, then onion, then cheese. Repeat layers and top with bread crumbs. Bake 40 minutes. Serves 10.
Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 182 calories, 10.6 g protein, 9.5 g fat, 12.5 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber, 350 mg sodium, 27 mg cholesterol.
Michele Gahan
Sam Houston Electric Cooperative
WHAT ELSE?
Anyone who has grown squash successfully knows there’s always too much. Here are some easy ways to use it up:
• Julienne small sticks of yellow or zucchini squash for filler in meatloaf and meat sauce.
• Throw squash slices on the grill along with the burgers. Baste with olive oil.
• Use with dips. One simple dip is mayo with garlic and lemon to taste.
• Grate squash finely and add to potato pancakes. Serve with low-fat sour cream.
• Make squash blossom soup.
• Use squash blossoms for salad.
• Purée for baby food.
• Make tempura squash.
• When all else fails, give it to the neighbors.
SQUASH BLOSSOMS: THE DELICATE DELICACY
As vegetables go, squash usually doesn’t command the same respect as its more aristocratic garden companions such as asparagus or snow peas. But when it comes to announcing itself, the squash is virtually peerless. Its extravagant golden blossom unfolds in floppy billows as if a ball gown were being born.
More and more cooks are realizing that squash blossoms are also an edible treat. But once they’re harvested, they expire quickly. In fact, few supermarkets keep them in stock. Fortunately squash is pretty easy to grow, so home gardeners can easily take advantage of the many creative ways to prepare and serve this delicacy. For more information and several squash blossom recipes, go to www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0805b.htm.
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