Ah, summer. We look forward to the time when we can forget about frozen and canned vegetables and enjoy the fresh versions, preferably from our own gardens or a farmers market.
When you’ve got great fresh squash, you don’t have to get too fancy — just grill or sautée it with a little olive oil and some sweet onions, and you’ve got a scrumptious side dish.
But it’s nice, too, to get a bit more sophisticated.
Donna Smith shared this recipe from “Eating Well” magazine for summer squash livened up with pesto. “I like this rustic version of pesto,” she wrote, “and I usually double the recipe because it is so good with the squash. I think you could easily use zucchini instead of the yellow squash. I have also cooked the squash on a grill pan on the stove and it is just as delicious.”
Pesto-Topped Grilled Summer Squash
1/2 C. chopped fresh basil
1/4 C. toasted pine nuts
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. grated Parmesan
cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4tsp. salt
2 medium summer squash
(about 1 pound), sliced 1/4-inch thick
Canola or olive oil cooking spray
Preheat grill to medium-high.
Combine basil, pine nuts, oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Coat both sides of squash slices with cooking spray. Grill the squash until browned and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve topped with the pesto.
• • •
The following recipe from McCormick for grilled corn succotash works well with grilled fish and takes advantage of summer produce.
Grilled corn succotash
1 C. frozen shelled edamame
1/4 C. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. ancho chile pepper
(McCormick)
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
4 ears fresh corn
1 small red bell pepper,
quartered and cored
2 green onions, thinkly sliced
Bring 1 quart water to boil in medium saucepan on high heat. Add edamame; cook 6-8 minutes or until edamame are bright green and tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Mix lemon juice, oil, vinegar, honey, ancho chile pepper, sea salt and crushed red pepper in small bowl until well blended. Remove husks and silk strands from corn. Brush some of the vinaigrette over corn and bell pepper.
Grill corn over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until tender and lightly charred, turning occasionally. Grill bell papper 2-4 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Cut corn kernels off cobs. Cut bell pepper into half-inch pieces. Place edamame, grilled vegetables and green onions in large bowl. Add remaining vinaigrette; toss well to coat.
• • •
While you might think of potato wedges as heavy fare, these potato dippers feature flavorful but light dipping sauces that use fat-free Greek yogurt as a base. Make the sauces up to 24 hours ahead; just store tightly covered in the refrigerator. They work well as an appetizer or as a side dish.
Potato Dippers with a Trio of Sauces
— U.S. Potato Board6-8 servings
2 pounds russet potatoes,
cut into wedges
1 Tbsp. olive oil
sea salt, to taste
sauces (see below)
Place potato wedges in a large bowl with olive oil; toss well to coat. Grill over medium-high heat for 10 minutes., turning once or twice, until cooked through and grill marks appear. Season with salt and serve immediately with dippers.
Red Pepper Basil Dipping Sauce
1/2 C. fat-free Greek yogurt
1/2 C. roasted red peppers,
drained and patted dry
2 cloves garlic
1/4 C. each: sliced green
onions and basil leaves
sea salt and freshly ground
pepper to taste
Puree yogurt, peppers and garlic in a blender or small food processor. Add onions and basil and pulse on and off until finely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Caramelized Onion and Chive Dipping Sauce
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, quartered
and thinly sliced
1 C. fat-free Greek yogurt
1/4 C. sliced chives or green
onion tops.
2 Tbs. fresh rosemary leaves
sea salt and freshly ground
pepper to taste
Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently; let cool. Puree onion and yogurt in blender or small food processor until smooth. Add chives and rosemary and pulse on and off until finely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Avocado Cilantro Dipping Sauce
3/4 C. fat-free Greek yogurt
1 ripe avocado, peeled and
pitted
2 cloves garlic.
1/4 C. lightly packed fresh
cilantro leaves
1/2 Tbs. lime juice
sea salt and freshly ground
pepper to taste
Puree yogurt, avocado and garlic in blender or small food processor until smooth. Add cilantry and lime juice and pulse on and off until finely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper.