Learn to Love Zucchini

Summer Squash

Summer squash are wonderfully versatile and quick to cook. Fresh, there are a number of ways to prepare them—sautéed, roasted, stir-fried, grilled, steamed or even mixed into a muffin batter.

Nutritional Breakdown

One Cup of Zucchini

• Contains 25 calories
• Contains almost one-fourth the daily requirement for vitamin C
• Contains several B vitamins used in energy production
• Contains magnesium to help regulate nerves and muscles

At the Market

Despite their name, summer squash—which include green and yellow zucchini, round scalloped yellow or green pattypan squash and pale yellow crookneck squash—are available throughout much of the year. But summer usually provides the freshest, tastiest examples of these easy-to-grow vegetables. Another bonus of the summer harvest is the availability of squash blossoms—a true garden delicacy.

Zucchini and summer squash are best when young and small—no bigger than about seven inches. Choose small squash with bright, shiny skins and a firm texture. Don’t be bothered by a few surface scratches; they’re practically unavoidable, since the skins of summer squash are so tender.

In the Kitchen

Store zucchini and other summer squash in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator, where they should keep for three to four days.

To prepare, rinse and trim squash ends. Small and moderate-sized squash have edible skin. With oversized summer squash, it’s best to peel the tough skin and scoop out the seeds. Discard any dry, pulpy parts. Squash can be precut for later use, covered with a damp towel and refrigerated for several hours. To use squash in baking breads and muffins, grate the raw vegetable and blot it with paper towels to remove some of the excess liquid.

Summer squash can be steamed, sautéed, stir-fried or grilled. An easy way to prepare summer squash is to cut green and yellow varieties into julienne sticks or thin slices, and sauté in a little olive oil until they just begin to soften and brown. Add chopped garlic, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and cook another minute or two. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice and serve. To grill, cut small squash in half lengthwise, lightly oil the cut surface, and put on the grate just until lightly charred and tender.

Fresh Ideas

• Thick sticks of zucchini, resembling fat French fries, can be briefly roasted, then used for dipping into savory sauces.
• Stuff blanched pattypan squash with crumbled feta and top with fresh garlic bread crumbs.
• Add small cubes of cooked summer squash to pasta sauces.
• Make zucchini ribbons to garnish salads by running a cheese planer lengthwise down the sides of a raw zucchini.
• Overgrown, tough squash can be used as serving containers, in the same way watermelon is carved and cored for filling. Cut out a handle from the top of squash, core and scrape out the interior and brush with lemon juice. Fill with crudités or salads.
• Add cooked squash along with tomato, herbs and onion to omelets for a Mediterranean-style brunch.

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