Summer Squash Galore

At the this week, you’ll find great gold and green mounds of summer squash, which are not named “summer” squash because they ripen during the summer. Summer squash are simply harvested before they are mature and can spoil quickly, so rather unromantically they are named for their short shelf life. Winter squash are harvested when they are all grown up, they have thick skins and last much longer after you pick them.

To me, summer squash means zucchini. If you’ve ever tried growing zucchini yourself, and many a backyard gardener knows, it’s one of those vegetables that you can get enough of. Even way too much of.

At first it’s exciting when little by little the blossoms sprout and bloom, the fruits start to swell and ripen and you get your first tender squash of the year. But they keep coming and coming and suddenly you’ve got armloads of zucchini squash. You’ve got more than you know what to do with. There’s only so much zucchini squash you can take. You’re giving it away. You’re leaving it on people’s doorsteps in the night and tip toeing off before they wake up and protest, “Enough zucchini already!”

It’s even worse when you’ve been so reluctant to pick your zucchini, because of the zucchini already testing your fridge’s limits, that you let them become monster behemoth zucchinis. Then really no one wants those ones.

I’ve had this problem a time or two, and if you’ve ever had this issue, I encourage you to use up your zucchini in this delectable Grilled Summer Squash Ratatouille – see recipe below. It’s a simple yet intensely flavorful summer barbecue side-dish and a great way to get all your veggies. Squash is packed full of the lesser known antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which are good for the eyes.

Squash was one of the three main crop plants grown by native Americans, along with corn and beans. Summer squash is harvested while the fruit is still soft and the skin has not hardened. And yes, squash is technically a fruit. It is related to melon and cucumber, which makes sense when you note the resemblance. There are many interesting varieties of summer squash, all of which you’ll find at the farmers market right now.

There are squatty star-shaped squash called patty pan squash. There’s yellow squash and the closely related crook-necked squash, which looks exactly like a yellow squash but has a crooked neck. And of course our friend the zucchini, there are little fat round varieties and long skinny heirloom Italian varieties if you’re lucky enough to find them.  

Squash blossoms are also edible, sweetly delicious and were significant in Native American cooking. They are excellent stuffed with cheese and lightly fried.   

Here's a tip for picking summer squash: Pick firm squash with a smooth skin about 5-6 inches long. You want them young before they develop seeds and a watery flesh.

Grilled Summer Squash Ratatouille

(cut all veggies lengthwise so they can go on the grill without slipping through)

• 2 zucchini
• 2 yellow squash
• 2 patty pan squash
• 2 Japanese eggplant
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 yellow or red bell peppers
• 2 red onions, quartered
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh oregano
• ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Toss all veggies with ½ cup olive oil in a big dish until they are evenly coated. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Grill veggies with lid open for about 5-6 minutes turning half way through. I cook the tomatoes in a grill pan or on a piece of foil so they won’t fall through the grill. Remove the tomatoes, cover grill and cook the remaining veggies for another 2 minutes. Transfer veggies to a large cutting board and coarsely chop everything, except the tomatoes, you’ll leave those whole. Place all chopped veggies and tomatoes in a large bowl, add 2 Tbs olive oil, garlic, oregano and parsley and more salt and pepper, to taste. Toss and serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6.

* Adapted from Bobby Flay’s recipe for Grilled Ratatouille.