Week 5 Recipes - Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Patty Pan Squash (from Week 4)

I confess - summer squashes are not my favorite veggies.  I find them watery and a bit tasteless.  Maybe that's why you so often see zucchini coated and then deep fried.  But what an unhealthy, heavy, greasy mess!  You won't find any drippy egg coatings or deep frying here.  

Finding that I still had that patty pan squash from week 4 hanging around my vegetable bin and that even more squash (zucchini and yellow squash) appeared in the week 5 delivery, it was time to find a healthy and appetizing way to enjoy them.  

I found the answer in roasting.  Roasting vegetables provides a flavor boost all on its own.  It sweetens the vegetable and browns the outside.  When in doubt about what to do with any vegetable - and I do mean any vegetable - roast it to enhance the flavor (plus it's a bit of an adventure when you try it on a vegetable you've never roasted before!).  Both of the recipes which follow use this technique.  You will find that the watery texture just disappears into the dish and the flavors are dressed up by the addition of just one or two piquant ingredients.  Enjoy!

Roasted Patty Pan Squash with Mint and Basil

4-5 Clarion River Organics Patty Pan squash (or however many you have)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped or snipped fresh basil
1 tsp fresh chopped mint (a few sprigs will do)
salt and pepper

Cut squashes in half horizotonally.  Cut these pieces into bite sized chunks.  Toss the chunks with the olive oil and spread the chunks out on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and place in a large bowl.  Sprinkle basil and mint over the roasted squash and stir to combine.  Serves 4-6.

Roasted Patty Pan Squash

The Finished Dish!

Snipping herbs with scissors rather than chopping will eliminate that bruised appearance

In this second recipe, the accompanying vegetables are roasted to boost the flavor of the raw squashes.  I love to use fresh plum tomatoes in this, but when I don't have any canned will work just fine too.

Zucchini Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Tomatoes and garlic ready for the oven

1 lb. pasta of choice (I like brown rice fusilli)
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained (or 6-12 plum tomatoes, halved - really yummy!)
1 full garlic bulb
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. snipped or chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. nutritional yeast (see week 3 post for info about nutritional yeast)
1 Clarion River Organics zucchini, grated
1 Clarion River Organics yellow squash, grated
3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
olive oil
Salt and Pepper

First, roast the tomatoes and garlic.  To do this, slice off the "top" of the garlic bulb (not the pointy end).  Brush the exposed cloves with a little olive oil and wrap entire bulb in foil.  Line a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spread diced tomatoes (or halved fresh plum tomatoes if you are lucky enough to have them!) on the cookie sheet.  Sprinkle tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of the chopped basil, 2 tablespoons of the nutritional yeast and salt and pepper.  Place foil wrapped garlic bulb on the same cookie sheet with the tomatoes and roast all together in oven for 30 minutes.  

While tomatoes and garlic roast, prepare your other ingredients and cook pasta according to package directions.   When tomatoes and garlic are done combine with the pasta:   squeeze garlic cloves out of the bulb and kind of mash into the hot pasta.  Discard the outer "paper skin" of the garlic bulb.  Add the grated zucchini/squash, remaining basil and nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.  Serves 5-6.