'Cooking With Pumpkins and Squash' By Brian Glover Photography by Peter Cassidy Ryland Peteres & Small -- 2008 Buy it on Amazon
Despite early fall's T-shirt weather and last-summer's-hurrah barbecues, Brian Glover's "Cooking With Pumpkins and Squash" beckoned. Although it largely consists of hot autumn colors and warming recipes, this exquisite cold-weather cookbook could not sit one week in the kitchen before we cracked.
We blame Glover's seductive prose: "Some flavors stand out as having a real affinity with squashes and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes; their nutty sweetness works well with salty tastes such as goat cheese, feta and olives..." His understanding of squash's potential as an adaptable base -- to be spiked with other bold ingredients and not merely to be devoured on its own -- intrigued us.
Though many niche cookbooks devoted to a particular ingredient can be characterized as too centric toward their subject, "Cooking With Pumpkins and Squash" reveals refreshingly complex recipes with unexpected flavors. "Light bites" recipes like Grilled Zucchini, Halloumi and Fava Beans with Tomato and Mint Dressing expertly showcase and complement the light, springy flavor of summer squash, while heartier entrées like the Pumpkin Risotto with Pancetta and Sage suit the rich, silky texture of pumpkin and butternut squash.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
Zucchini, Potato and Scallion Pancakes. Photo: Rec(ession)ipes.
As we transition from summer to fall, it's the perfect time to pair prime vegetables from each season.
And these zucchini, potato and scallion pancakes from Rec(ession)ipes beautifully capture the colors of autumn, while sneaking in the last tastes of summer. Pan-fried and topped with a dollop of chive sour cream, a glimpse at these almost makes up for the fact that we'll be seeing a lot less of the sun for a while. Almost.
It's practically raining zucchini in the month of August, but there are only so many nights you can serve it sautéed. Since zucchini has a mild flavor and plenty of liquid, it's ideal for sweet recipes because it helps baked goods stay moist, like applesauce does.
Since seeing the mounds of butter and melted chocolate oozing across the screen in "Julie and Julia," I've been craving an indulgent chocolate dessert. So I made this rich, dark molten cake that's crusty on top and soft and melted in the center. Adding a little zucchini is a great way to skim back a little on the fat and sugar.
Get Jennifer's Molten Chocolate Cake recipe after the jump.
Meat may be the undeniable star of the grilling show, but zucchini -- when drizzled with olive oil and lightly seasoned like this one from Life's Ambrosia -- pops up during summer months for its 15 minutes (or rather, three months) of fame.
It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating zucchini season by watching the chefs in the Gourmet test kitchen make the most of the versatile veggie. Now, as we creep slowly toward the end of August and, sadly, the culmination of zucchini's prime season it's time to throw the last -- and the best -- of the summer squash on the barbie so it can go out in style. Because no matter how good a vegetable is on its own, everything is better with those glorious grill lines.
Why is it that everyone plants zucchini, even though it is blatantly obvious that one plant is enough to feed an entire village? (At Beekman 1802, we count ourselves among the guilty.)
Anyone who has ever grown one knows that this prolific plant produces far more zucchini than one could ever want. You never know what to do with it all, which is probably why zucchini bread was invented, and our neighbors pass it around like Secret Santa gifts: Someone is bound to come to your doorstep with zucchini right as you're ready to give some away.
Rumor has it that folks keep planting it because of our fabulous recipe for grilled summer squash. We dare you to find a recipe that beats this melange of fresh herbs and creamy squash for embodying pure summer.
In the savory round, watch Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez make zucchini shoestring "fries" as a decadent topping for a "zucchini three ways" salad and competitor Andrea Albin whip up some spicy zucchini fritters with basil-mayo dipping sauce. We'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not Albin's performance-enhancing drug -- bacon -- gave her an unfair advantage over her opponent.
In the sweets round Eriquez appeared to have a stronghold on Albin when she "pulled out the guns" with her zucchini whoopie pies. (Click the video to see how she pulled it off.) But what better way to wash down a zucchini whoopie pie -- or five -- than with Albin's zucchini lime tequila slushie?
Check out the video, vote for your favorite and let us know who you think won and why in the comments.
Zucchini and corn quesadillas. Otherwise known as summer tucked into a couple of tortillas.
Created and snapped by Flickr's Ezra Pound Cake, they're a buoyant and appetizing reminder that making the most of seasonable vegetables need not be a fancy, expensive or time-consuming affair. Though its components are jewel-hued, the only lavishness to be found here is in the flavors -- where it belongs.
The term squash covers a whole host of scrumptious fruits - yes, they are fruits.
They are grouped basically into summer squash and winter squash. Summer squash is harvested as an immature fruit, and winter squash is harvested in the fall or winter when it has ripened. Zucchini is probably the most commonly used summer squash, and winter squashes include everyone's favorites: butternut, buttercup, acorn, pumpkin, and spaghetti squash. The skin of a winter squash is hard, and requires cooking.
Squash can be a great, healthier alternative to potato or pasta in many recipes. Here are eight great ways to serve up squash, starting with one you don't have to cook:
These recipes are varied enough that you could make them all for one giant meal and have a squash feast! If there's someone in your life you have to lie to about there being squash in what they're eating, spaghetti squash with pasta sauce is usually a safe bet. Or, you can totally get away with soup - picky eaters often don't pay attention to the broth, just the stuff floating in there. Good luck and happy squashing!
Only recently have I discovered an appreciation for cabbage. I suppose I grew up with the mind-set of "it's green and smells, therefore it must not taste good." I felt the same way back then about Brussels Sprouts, beet greens and asparagus.
Cabbage stuffed with beef, zucchini and herbs is a hearty dish that showcases the flavor of each ingredient, without loosing the integrity and texture of the cabbage. Cabbage, packed with vitamins K and C is also fairly inexpensive in a time where grocery bills have increased greatly.
When choosing cabbage, the heavier the better, but stay away from heads of cabbage with extra, giant leaves on the outside. Make sure the head doesn't give, as well, as that can be a sign of interior rot.
I spent some time in a friend's community garden patch yesterday, helping her harvest string beans, several handfuls of basil, some tomatoes and a whole mess of squash. She didn't plant any traditional zucchini this year which means I've had to get my zucchini fix from my farm share and the farmers market. However, there's nothing that says summer to me quite like zucchini and these four freshly picked ones are gorgeous examples of the season's bounty.
Thanks to Ataradrac for adding this pic to the pool!
I honestly didn't think it would happen this quickly. I mean, it's not even the middle of July, and already the stream of zucchini and other summer squash coming my way is a bit more than I can consume in a given week. Part of the problem stems from the fact that my boyfriend won't touch the stuff and so I am responsible for eating our half of the CSA zucchini and yellow crookneck squash that arrives each week. Add to that the fact that I have some lovely friends who planted pattypan squash in their community garden plot primarily because they know I like it, and it's a lot of squash.
Don't take this as a complaint though, as the flood of summer squash is motivating me to look to new sources for recipe inspiration. This week, our CSA newsletter pointed me in the direction of The Green Earth Institute, an organization out of Illinois that runs a CSA, as well as programs for kids and teens about locally grown foods, nutrition and how to eat well. They have an immense archive of recipes that are sorted by ingredient (in my case, I clicked on the zucchini section) and they are all fairly healthy and many sound like they'd be appealing to kids and families. I think I'm going to take some of our zucchini and make this Squash and Cheddar Cheese Casserole. Maybe if I cover it in enough cheese, bacon and eggs, even Scott will find a way to enjoy zucchini.
Most of the United States will be springing an hour early this Sunday morning, and so in honor of this early arrival of spring, I thought I'd post a yummy-looking picture of a salad that seems appropriate for the season. Prepared, photographed and I'm assuming eaten by Flickr user ccharmon, this is a salad I see myself recreating at some point down the line.
If your cooking is taking a turn for the spring-like, why don't you take some pictures and share them with us over on the Slashfood Flickr page. Go on, tempt us with your delicious creations.
For most of my life I ate zucchini one of two ways. It was always sliced into rounds and then was either steamed or pan fried in a little bit of olive oil. Occasionally it was cut lengthwise and grilled, but mostly that happened at the hands of cooks other than my mother, so it was very infrequent. I was 22 before I discovered that zucchini could be cooked down to a creamy consistency over low heat or that it could be finely chopped and quickly sauteed.
Once my eyes were opened to a world of zucchini cooking options I started playing around. A while back, I hit upon a way of mimicking spaghetti noodles with zucchini that has become one of my favorite ways to prepare it. I use the fine matchstick blade on my mandoline (Amazon has some for under $10 that would do the job nicely) and slice the zuck lengthwise, so that I come away with long strings of squash that look like squared off spaghetti (don't use the inner seeded area, as it just shreds).
I heat a little olive oil in a nonstick pan, mince a couple of cloves of garlic and toss it all together over medium heat until the zucchini softens but isn't mushy. I like to eat it just like that, a sort of "pasta" alio olio that's a bit healthier than the traditional one due to the use of veg instead of starch. You could also top it with pasta sauce or toss other veggies in for a primavera. Play around, anything goes as long at it tastes good.
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