It’s that time of year again. Summer squash has returned. In a big way, in many cases.
My sister Lauren’s front yard garden is putting up some big squash. For perspective, her dog weighs 45 pounds.
Last year, I wrote a post about 14 Ways to Enjoy Summer Squash. If you haven’t read that one, click HERE to find more than a dozen easy ideas on how to cook and enjoy this veggie that pops up everywhere in July.
But it’s another summer and there’s more squash to be eaten! So here are 14 more ways to enjoy summer squash.
A note: Summer squash is a generic term for any of the soft fleshed squashes that thrive in the hottest season. The most common variety is zucchini (also called courgette in certain circles.)
If you were a summer squash specialist, you would point out that there are many other varieties of summer squash. There’s zucchetta and yellow crookneck squash as well as lots of fancier named squashes, such as Tromba d’Albenga, Ronde de Nice and Yellow Scallopini. All the ideas below call for zucchini, but you can sub any summer squash with similar results.
14 More Ways to Enjoy Summer Squash
1) Hollow it out and stuff it with meat. That’s always a good place to start.
2) Make Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup from The Clothes Make the Girl. This recipe uses 2 pounds of zucchini!
3) Sneak some into a smoothie. Puree well and you won’t even know it’s there.
4) Use instead of tomato in your Bacon Salsa Burger with Grilled Veggies. Or keep the tomato and add the zucchini too!
5) Stick on a skewer with lemons and salmon a la Mark’s Daily Apple. I’m dying to try this.
6) Shred finely and add to any curry or tomato sauce. This is a tried and true option.
7) Top with syrup and tell your child it’s a pancake. I’m kidding! But you could make zucchini fritters.
8) Mash 1/3 cup of shredded zucchini with one banana. Top with a dash of honey and your favorite paleo dessert toppings — cinnamon, shredded coconut, dried fruit, nuts, etc. Add coconut milk if you want it a little creamier.
9) Slice into ½ inch thick slices. Brush with oil and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. My go-to option.
10) Pickle it. Then you can store in the fridge for a while.
11) Indulge in paleo baked goods. Zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini bread, zucchini muffins, zucchini carrot muffins, zucchini brownies — you get the idea.
12) Chop well and place at the bottom of your salad in a jar.
13) Or, use it as the base for a creamy salad dressing.
14) Incorporate it into your breakfast. Make a breakfast casserole, a breakfast bake or just toss it in with your bacon and eggs, as Matt likes to do.
Matt’s breakfast Saturday featured six eggs, bacon and a big slice of squash in the middle.
If you’ve gone through all these ideas and still have a super abundance of summer squash, you can shred it, squeeze out the extra water and freeze in one cup portions (or the amount called for in your favorite recipe.)
That’s what my sister Lauren decided to do with some of her zucchini abundance last weekend. When the vines are wilted and the ground is frozen this winter, that zucchini that seems played out now is going to be a treat!