Good morning! Today we have for you:
Here comes the zucchini
I’ve learned that I love zucchini one of two ways: either cooked into oblivion (as in this caramelized zucchini pasta) or raw. I like it fine enough somewhere in the middle, when it’s grilled, roasted or sautéed, but I find zucchini most interesting and delicious when it’s either melting and jammy or crisp and snappy. Yossy Arefi’s new zucchini, chickpea and tomato salad is an excellent raw zucchini vehicle, as those small, chopped pieces soften just enough in the simple lemon vinaigrette. (Side note: Does anyone else out there find chopping zucchini so, so pleasing? It’s right up there with slicing into fresh construction paper with scissors.) Any remaining bitterness from the squash is muted by the fresh mint and tangy feta, and one smart reader added some red chile flakes for a touch of spice. And Beth, another reader, plans to add extra protein: “Absolutely delicious. … I think this salad would work by adding tuna. This is a great way to use my garden bounty.” Featured Recipe Zucchini, Chickpea and Tomato SaladNew and noteworthyChicken, eggplant and basil stir-fry: My brilliant colleague Allison Jiang — you might recognize her name from this great collection of easy fish recipes, or this one for canned white beans — pointed out to me that this recipe used up a good amount of eggplant and basil, in case you’re faced with the (enviable) issue of having too many of those growing in your garden. I don’t have a vegetable garden, but those items are currently very bountiful and inexpensive at my local markets, so I’ll also be partaking in this dish by Cybelle Tondu. Quinoa salad with corn and basil: That Ali Slagle. So clever. Yes, this easy salad features healthy quinoa and sweet summer corn, but it also has all the elements of a pesto turned into a loose, textural dressing. Ali encourages embellishing the salad with sliced avocado or grilled shrimp; don’t mind if I do. Fried stuffed squash blossoms: This recipe, adapted from Dan Pelosi’s cookbook “Let’s Eat,” adds some fresh mint to the ricotta and Parmesan stuffing for a little freshness, though he notes you can play around with both the cheese and herb element to suit your taste (and garden yield). I could eat so many of these. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.
And before you goIf the beaming plants lined up outside my corner store are any indication, it is Basil Time. And in case you’re wondering (per the recipe’s F.A.Q.s): “Pesto can be frozen for up to 3 months. Transfer the fresh pesto to an airtight container and top with a very thin layer of oil before freezing. Some people freeze pesto in designated ice cube trays until firm, and then transfer the frozen cubes to an airtight container. For a fresher flavor, make and freeze pesto without the cheese, and then add the grated cheese once thawed.”
Thanks for reading!
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