Summer Squash

It seems like nearly every gardener has a surplus of summer squash at this time of year. Summer squash and zucchini are easy to grow and prolific. They're also easy to cook and so mild in flavor that they can fit nearly any cuisine.

Recently we've used summer squash in a variety of meals. We grated the squash and stirred into fritters with garlic-herb sauce. I made crispy Korean-style pancakes with squash and rice flour served with Asian sauces (plum sauce, hoisin sauce, sweet-n-sour sauce, miso-soy sauce). We grilled pizza with pesto, squash and cheese toppings. I baked squash gratin with eggs and wild rice. We stirred up a spicy burrito filling with grated squash. Last night we sauteed very thin peels of summer squash with chunky mushrooms in olive oil.

Other ideas include vegetable griddlecakes, breaded and fried squash sticks (like french fries only better), baked squash with herbs in parchment, risotto with squash, grilled squash (kebabs perhaps), or grilled squash in panini sandwiches.

Don't pass by the ubiquitous summer squash at this time of year---just get creative! If you need ideas, I recommend Mark Bittman's book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.