summer squash roundup

So far I made a gratin and a lasagna with the summer squash I harvested from my garden last week. Both were great dishes that I would make again in a heartbeat. I kept it simple though with the last squash that was sitting in my fridge.

I grilled this baby up with just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and brought it over to our friends house for dinner last Friday night.



Sometimes keeping it simple (stupid) is best. You can't really beat grilled vegetables.

So here is a round up of the first dishes I made with veggies from my garden:

  
Summer Squash Gratin           Vegan Summer Lasagna          Grilled Summer Squash


Up next: who knows?! Actually, I will be posting a garden update soon. Last night I took a nice walking tour of the garden and was surprised to see that we have some cucumbers, banana peppers and jalapeno peppers that are almost ready to be picked. Our tomatoes are abundant, but still green, the sweet corn is getting taller, the bell peppers are still babies, and I have no idea about the eggplant, sweet potatoes, and watermelon...

summer squash gratin with sweet corn and new potatoes

Remember this beauty of a photo I took last Thursday after snagging some delicious looking produce from the farmers market and my garden?



Seriously, I think I might print and frame it and hang it in my kitchen. I am sure gazing at it during the dreary cold winter months in Iowa will instantly snap me out of a funk and send me back to thoughts of summertime.

Well, after a long time baking away in the oven, Nic and I feasted on the flavors of summer.



Side by side:



Seven main ingredients + spices and vegetable stock = a simple, yet elegant, summer dish.

Summer Squash Gratin with Sweet Corn and New Potatoes

In the mix::

• 1/2 huge summer squash, sliced into thin rounds
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced into thin rounds
• 3 new potatoes, sliced into thin rounds
• kernels from 2 ears of sweet corn
• 3 small tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
• 5 basil leaves, roughly chopped (I would use more next time)
• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• 1/2 T olive oil
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1.5 cups vegetable stock
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375* and grease a nine in pie plate with a little bit of olive oil.

In a small bowl, mix the chickpeas with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, garlic powder and a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare the gratin. Beginning on the outer edge of the pie plate, layer your vegeatbles in the following order; squash, potato, tomato, onion and a sprinkle of sweet corn. Continue until the pie plate is filled.

I then gently tucked the basil in between a few of the layers, however, I think next time I would double the basil and include a piece in between each layer.

Pour the vegetable stock over the vegetable layer, being careful not to overflow pie plate. You might not need the entire amount, just enough to come about one-half of the way up the veggie layer.

Gratins typically have breadcrumbs or cheese on the top, but since I had no bread and opted not to use cheese, I thought throwing some chickpeas on top sounded like my best bet. And it was a great idea. So, top your gratin with the chickpeas (or breadcrumbs/cheese) and place into the oven for about one hour.

When the vegetables are fork tender and the top is beginning to brown, turn on the broiler and allow the top and chickpeas to crisp up a bit (about 3-5 minutes).



The roasted chickpeas - my favorite part and a fabulous addition. The rest of the dish was really delicious as well. It was a simple dish with mellow flavors. Like I said above, I think I would up the basil next time around. Another great idea would be to toss the vegetables in a bit of olive oil flavored with an herb of your choice (basil, thyme, rosemary...) and let the vegetables marinate for a few hours before baking.



Ultimately, this was a great dish that highlighted a vegetable the I grew (did I tell you that yet?!) and some awesome seasonal produce that was grown right here in town.