It has been my experience for years that on eves of CSA pickups, we get by with what we have, cobble together dinner with the scraps in the vegetable drawer, a hunk of bread, cheese, a tin of sardines or whatever we find in the pantry. But this summer, I can’t keep up. Even with the children eating the green beans, a weekly ritual of chard fritters, and gratins galore, we can’t make a dent in our produce share. Every Monday is an emergency, an evacuation of what’s left, everything and anything shredded into a slaw. I’m not complaining. These are good problems. And in recent weeks, I’ve found myself hoping for more than just a few summer squash to appear in my weekly basket, because this sautéed zucchini recipe is one of the most delicious things I’ve made in awhile. It’s another Deborah Madison gem via Food52 and my cousin who emailed and texted and insisted I make it immediately. I’m so glad she did. It’s simple and fun to make: 1/2-inch thick rounds (which is thicker than you think — get out your tape measure) brown in olive oil while you mince together basil, mint, garlic and capers. This “knife pesto” gets added to the sautéed squash at the end with a splash of vinegar and toasted pine nuts. The instructions explicitly advise not salting the squash till the very end, a withholding that keeps water from leaching out of the rounds, allowing them to brown properly. What I love about the dish is that even though the “dressing” is a jumble of ingredients, you can taste each element — the bite of the vinegar, the zing of the garlic, the sweet herbs, the crunchy nuts. The bits of knife pesto are irresistible. As suggested, I’ve been serving this with my favorite bread and homemade ricotta. This has been dinner three nights in a row. I can’t imagine a more perfect summer meal.
A Few other Favorite Zucchini Recipes
This gratin is my favorite — it’s so fast to throw together and so good. This summer squash gratin with salsa verde is delicious, too, but a little more involved. Love this summer squash spaghetti. These fritters with tzatziki are a fun first course. I love this raw, shaved zucchini and pecorino salad with olive oil and lemon. Zucchini bread. Yum. Favorite summer pizza: The Zucchini Anchovy.
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