Zephyr Squash and Herbed Goat Cheese Galette

Galettes are one of my favorite things to make in the summer. They are a wonderful way to serve up the bounty of the season in both sweet and savory ways. This zephyr squash galette is super simple and makes a great light meal on its own or you can pair it with a salad for a fuller meal.

Ingredients:

Makes 4 servings.

Dough:

(dough recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon table salt 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chill again 1/4 cup plain yogurt 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup ice water

1 egg for egg wash

Squash filling:

3-4 medium zephyr squash, cut in 1/4-inch thick rounds

1 large red onion, cut in a 1-inch dice

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons minced herbs of your choice (I used basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary)

6 oz goat cheese

kosher salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Make the dough:

Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, apple cider vinegar and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

While the dough is chilling, make the filling:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and squash and sauté until golden brown and slightly tender. You want the squash to still have a bit of crunch to it so that it doesn't get over cooked in the oven. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Stir together the goat cheese and about 1/4 cup of the herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the goat cheese mixture to the squash and onion mixture and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

Assemble the galette:

On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a roughly 12-inch round. Transfer to a lightly oiled or parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon the squash and goat cheese mixture into the center of the dough leaving a two-inch border around the edge. Fold the border over the filling, pleating it to make it fit. The center will be open. Sprinkle the top of the filling with the remaining 2 tablespoons of herbs. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Brush the crust with egg wash.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Linguine with Spicy Broccoli Rabe

Need a quick and easy dinner for these busy early summer days? This pasta dish is hardy, super flavorful, and ready from start to finish in less than 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound linguine (dry or fresh), cooked al dente

6 cups broccoli rabe, stems and leaves roughly chopped, flowers reserved

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

zest of 1 lemon

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt, to taste

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

Method:

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and sweat until fragrant but not brown at all. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the broccoli rabe, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes.  Sauté until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta and remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil. Toss to coat and adjust salt as needed.

To serve, top with grated parmesan and reserved broccoli rabe flowers.

Serves 4.

Burmese-Style Stuffed Butternut Squash Curry

This recipe has traveled around the world through many hands. Pumpkin curries are popular in much of Asia, and can be found with a variety of ingredients and flavors. The dark green skinned kabocha squash is the most common "pumpkin" used in these recipes, but butternut squash works quite well. The small ones are especially well suited for serving single portions stuffed inside the squash. The particular recipe and method listed below came from a Swiss friend named Jerome Gauthey who has spent a year or so working at an orphanage for refugee children in Thailand. And it was his friend and co-worker from Burma who shared the meal with the staff and children whenever there were occasions for celebration. It's a simple recipe that makes use of fresh winter squash, onion, loads of garlic, and a common Thai seasoning blend called Ros Dee. It's hard to know exactly what is in the seasoning packet, but it's essentially pork bouillon, salt, garlic powder, and various umami flavor enhancers.  Ros Dee may be available at your local Asian market, but a good substitute could be homemade pork or chicken broth and plenty of salt. And don't be afraid to assemble your own flavors. Many pumpkin curry recipes also use turmeric, ginger, kafir lime leaves and coconut milk for a sweeter taste.

Ingredients:

6-8 small butternut squash

2 lbs boneless chicken thighs

3 stalks fresh lemongrass

1 large onion

6-8 cloves of fresh garlic

Salt

Oil

Green and red Thai chilies (to taste), plus one small red or yellow onion

*Ros Dee Seasoning, or use pork or chicken broth

 

*Ros Dee Pork Seasoning

Method:

Mince the small onion and about 6-8 Thai chilies. Combine in a bowl with some salt and mash with a mortar & pestle to release their oils and combine the flavors. Set aside.

Cut the neck end of the squash away from the bulbous end, then carefully peel the squash and remove the seeds. The seeded bulb end will be used as bowls for the curry, and can be decorated by cutting slits or designs into them with a sharp knife.

Place the squash "bowls" on a parchment-lined baking dish and set aside. Chop the remaining stem-ends of the squash into bite sized chunks,  cut the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces, slice the large yellow onion into wedges, and mince the garlic. Trim the lemongrass, using the white root ends for the curry. Cut into 3-4 inch pieces.

In a heavy bottomed stock pot, cook the chicken on medium-high heat with a little oil until it is almost cooked through. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook while stirring until the onions are tender.  Stir in the squash chunks, Ros Dee Seasoning and 1 cup of water (or broth) and lemongrass. Cover and simmer until the squash is tender, but not mushy.

Season to taste with salt and more Ros Dee, garlic or chopped chilies.

Scoop the chicken and squash mixture into the squash "bowls" and return to the baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until the squash bowls are fork tender.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice and onion and chili garnish.

Eggplant Lasagna

This is an exceptionally versatile dish, which can be made many ways to suit your taste or dietary needs. Essentially: Eggplant and spaghetti sauce go really well together. Traditional lasagna is a delicious comfort food, but often comes with a lot of fat, carbohydrates, and not enough protein or fiber to offer balanced nutrition. The version in the photograph has thin strips of eggplant instead of traditional lasagna noodles.  It also has no cheese, but is topped with a scrumptious mixture of grated squash, panko breadcrumbs, olive oil and herbs.  The result is a really delicious high-protein, high-fiber, lower-fat version of lasagna with a flavorful, crispy topping.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

If you have a lot of fresh tomatoes, or tomatoes canned from earlier in the year and want to use them, try this recipe for Fresh Tomato Marinara.  However, if you are using store-bought cans of tomatoes, this is a delicious, authentic Italian tomato sauce recipe:

28 oz can of good quality Crushed Tomatoes

6 oz can of good quality Tomato Paste

1 medium Yellow Onion, diced

6 cloves of Garlic, minced

3 Bay Leaves

1 cup Dry Red Wine

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground Black Pepper

1 Tbs Herbs De Provence or Kitchen Karma Mediterranean herb blend

1 lb grass-fed Ground Beef (optional)

Layers:

1 1/2 -2 lbs Eggplant, sliced into 1/8 th inch slices, lengthwise

Olive oil

Herbs De Provence or Kitchen Karma Mediterranean herb blend

Kosher Salt

1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

1 medium zephyr squash or zucchini, grated or julienned (optional)

Method:

If using ground beef, place in a medium stock pot and break into small bits with a spatula or cooking spoon.  Season well with kosher salt, black pepper and herb blend.  Cook on medium-high heat, stirring often, until browned.

Add diced onion and minced garlic and cook one minute more. (If preparing a meatless recipe, saute onion and garlic with a little olive oil on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes.  Stir often and do not let the garlic scorch.)

Add the red wine, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaves.  Stir until combined, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for at least one hour, but longer if you have time.  Stir occasionally.  The longer the sauce cooks, the more complex the flavors will be.  Natural sugars in the wine, tomatoes and onions will sweeten the sauce with longer cooking times.  Shorter cooking time will produce a tangier sauce.

Tips:

After cooking the sauce, remove from heat and let rest for one hour before assembling the lasagna. Letting the sauce rest will improve the flavors.  Cooking one day ahead, refrigerating the sauce, then layering the lasagna on the second day will also produce a very flavorful sauce.

Layering:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place slices of eggplant on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with a little oil on both sides.  Season with a little kosher salt.

Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the slices have dehydrated a little and begin to brown.  remove from the oven and let cool.

In a high-sided baking dish, put a layer of meat sauce or marinara in the bottom of the dish.  Top with a layer of eggplant, then meat, etc.  When you run out of eggplant, cover with a layer of sauce.

Mix together the grated squash, breadcrumbs, a little olive oil, and seasonings.  Spread the mixture on the top of the lasagna.  Bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Pattypan Squash Stuffed with Meatloaf

Ingredients:

8-10 Pattypan squash

1 lb Grass-fed ground beef

1 Large yellow onion

3-4 Celery stalks

4-6 Garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 Cup of tomato sauce, or 1 cup of smoky tomato and sweet red pepper ketchup

1-2 Cups of Panko breadcrumbs

2 Eggs

Method:

In a food processor or blender, finely chop the onions, celery and garlic.  Combine the finely chopped vegetables with the ground beef, salt, tomato sauce, panko, and eggs.

Remove the stem end of the squash to make a flat surface for the squash to sit in the baking dish.  Cut away the blossom end and scoop out the seeds and soft pulp from the middle of the squash.

Stuff the pattypan squash with the meatloaf and place on a baking pan or dish.  Place in the oven on the top rack and broil (550 degrees) for about 5-10 minutes, or until the tops brown.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for about an hour.  Baking time is variable depending on the amount of meatloaf in each squash, size of the squash, etc. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf should read 170 degrees when done.

Serve with Smoky Tomato and Sweet Red Pepper Ketchup.

Pottery Courtesy of  www.formanpottery.com