Summer Fest: Our Top 5 Favorite Squash Recipes

By: Cameron Curtis
No Cook Summer Squash Salad with Lemon and Herbs

Our season-long garden party Summer Fest 2012 welcomes food and garden bloggers to feature garden-to-table recipes and tips. We’ll feature favorite garden-to-table recipes and tips to help you enjoy the bounty, whether you’re harvesting your own goodies or buying them fresh from the market. Fresh this week: summer squash.

Any way you slice your seasonal squash it's going to taste delicious. And since all of the parts of squash are edible, from the flesh to the skin, you can eat it in a variety of ways. Slice it thinly on a mandoline, cut it into chunks and top it with cheese or hollow out part of the inside and serve it stuffed.

Here are our favorite ways to cook summer squash:
  • Use a mandoline to thinly slice summer squashes in different colors of green and yellow to make this colorful, no-cook Summer Squash Salad. The squash will soften after it's topped with lemon juice, olive oil and herbs.
No Cook Summer Squash Salad with Lemon and Herbs
  • If you're not willing to share one of summer's favorite veggies, make a Summer Squash Casserole in individual cast iron Lodge Round Mini-Servers. Combine half moon cuts of squash with butter and onions before topping with bread and crushed crackers and baking until golden brown.
Summer Squash Casserole
  • Skip slicing and stuff halves of squash with bulgar in this recipe for Stuffed Summer Squash that features a homemade spice blend including coriander, cardamom, cinnamon and more. Save scooped out flesh to toss into soups, frittatas or other egg dishes, or pastas.
Stuffed Summer Squash (Cousa) with Bulgur in Tomato Broth
  • Slice squash lengthwise and grill to make these veggie-filled Quesadillas With Charred Tomato Salsa. Fill corn tortillas with the grilled summer squash (you can also use zucchini), Manchego cheese and some Ancho Chile Paste for spice. Serve with homemade charred tomato salsa or your favorite store-bought brand.
Grilled Squash Quesadillas with a Charred Tomato Salsa
  • Turn a savory summer squash favorite, zucchini, into a delicious dessert with this recipe for Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread With Pecans. Shred it lengthwise before adding to a buttermilk batter and topping with nuts and chocolate chunks.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Pecans

More Summer Squash From Family & Friends:
Cooking With Elise: Orange Summer Squash Bread
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Summer Squash Chips
Ingredients, Inc.: Summer Squash and Kale Sauté
Thursday Night Dinner: Summer Squash Medley

Next Up

Summer Fest: Tasty Takes on 6 Types of Summer Tomatoes

A sweet and savory combination of heirloom tomatoes, watermelon and feta cheese makes for a Refreshing Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad.

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