Zucchini and Summer Squash with Chili, Mint, and Toasted Almonds

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 medium yellow squash
• Olive oil
• Salt
• 1/2 very small red bird chili, seeds removed and finely sliced, or pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint

Toast the almonds in a pan over medium heat until golden, watching carefully, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Trim the zucchini and yellow squash and cut each one in half lengthwise, and then in half again, so you have four long quarters. Slice each quarter into 1-inch chunks. Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a wide sauté pan with high sides and set over medium-high heat. When the pan starts to smoke, add the zucchini and squash and a large pinch of salt, and turn the heat up to high. Sauté the squash, tossing frequently, until it’s well-caramelized but still has a bite, about 3 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium and add the chili to the pan. Cook for another minute, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle the sugar and vinegar over the squash and toss to combine. Cook for another minute or so. Turn off the heat and stir in the mint. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary, and then fold in the almonds. Serve immediately.

A variation: cool the cooked squash and serve at room temperature, shaving some ricotta salata or parmesan over the top.

Serves 4 as side dish.

VERDICT:  I made some changes--I used all zucchini, substituted red wine vinegar for the sherry vinegar, and used the red pepper flakes.  I included some zucchini slices, to use them up, which disintegrated, so the whole thing ended up kind of mushy.  But it had really nice flavor!  You could taste the vinegar and chili and mint and almonds, but none of them were out of balance.  Keep. 

Zucchini Ribbon Quiche with Roasted Grape Tomatoes

• 1 1/2 - 2 medium zucchini, about 2 inches in diameter
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• ½ tsp thyme leaves, chopped.
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 beaten eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese, well drained (see headnote above, but store-bought is also fine)
• zest from ½ a lemon
• 2 Tbsp chopped basil
• 3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice zucchini lengthwise into thin strips. Your ribbons don’t have to be perfect for this, I cut mine with just a chef’s knife. You can also use a mandoline or a vegetable peeler.

Heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add diced onion, thyme, a pinch of pepper, and two big pinches of salt. Cook until onions are translucent, soft, and slightly browned. Add garlic and sauté briefly. Take off heat and cool.

Mix together eggs, milk, 1 tsp of salt, and flour. Add cooled onions. Mix and set aside.
Mix together ricotta, basil, salt, and parmesan. Taste and add more salt, pepper, lemon zest, or parmesan to taste.

Drop 1 Tbsp of olive oil into a 9 inch round baking pan and coat the pan. Then, use excess oil to coat slices of zucchini as you line the outer rim. You can use thicker and longer slices of zucchini or layer thin slices. Add egg mixture. Then, drop spoonfuls of ricotta mixture into the egg mixture. Finally, weave remaining zucchini slices through the egg mixture in swirly patterns. Tuck some in at different angles so when you slice the quiche, you get some layered throughout. You might not need all of the zucchini, depending on how big they were. Sprinkle a little chopped basil and parmesan on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30--40 minutes until egg is set. The quiche shouldn’t be sloshy, just slightly wiggly. Cool quiche for at least 10 minutes.

When quiche has about 10 minutes of cooking time left, toss tomatoes with oil and a generous sprinkling of salt. Bake 10-15 minutes while quiche is baking and cooling.

Serve a slice of quiche with roasted tomatoes, some freshly cut basil and a sprinkling of parmesan.

Serves 6.

VERDICT:  Urgh.  There were problems with this one.  I scrambled some of the eggs by putting too-hot onions in the egg mixture.  I tried to make it in a springform pan, which resulted in egg leaking all over the floor, counter, and cabinets.  When I relocated it to a regular cake pan, it overflowed in the oven (handily, I was noticing a pattern and had put a sheet pan under it to bake).  And then it didn't cook.  Ever.  Or rather, the fact that the eggs were done was masked by liquid from the raw zucchini floating up to the top.  We didn't eat until 8:30, and then it was a soggy mess.  Toss and pretend it never happened.

Panfried Smashed Potatoes

• 8 medium red potatoes (about 2 inches long; 1 3/4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Generously cover potatoes with cold water in a 3-to 4-quart pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Boil until almost tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes. Transfer to a baking sheet and lightly crush to about 3/4 inch thick with a potato masher, keeping potatoes intact as much as possible.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Transfer potatoes with a spatula to skillet, then lower heat to medium-low and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 20 minutes total. Serve sprinkled with cheese. Season generously with pepper. 

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  I don't think these are good for you, but they are fantastic and easy.  Keep!

Raspberry Fool with Toasted Angel Food Cake

• 2½ cups raspberries (about 12 oz.)
• 2 Tbsp. plus ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest plus more for serving
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 4 cups 1-inch pieces angel food cake (from about 1/3 of a cake

Preheat oven to 375°. Spread cake pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast until edges are golden brown but centers are still soft, 8–10 minutes. Let cool; set aside.

Using a fork, coarsely mash raspberries, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. lime zest in a small bowl. Let sit 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat cream, crème fraîche, and remaining ¼ cup sugar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.

Layer cake, raspberry mixture, and cream mixture in glasses or small bowls; top with lime zest.

Serves 6; 330 calories.

VERDICT:  Serves 6, my foot.  I doubled the recipe and five adults and one child ate the entire thing.  The cake gets these irresistible crunchy sugar bits, and the raspberries are fresh and bright.  I wish I had some now.  Keep!

Zucchini Quesadillas

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• Salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute more.

Add zucchini and frozen corn kernels; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is soft and corn is tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, if using.

Brush one side of all tortillas with remaining tablespoon oil; lay 2 tortillas, oiled side down, on a baking sheet. Place half of the filling on each, and sprinkle with half the cheese. Place remaining 2 tortillas on top, oiled side up; press down gently with a spatula to seal.

Bake until cheese has melted and tortillas are golden brown, turning once, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool slightly. To serve, slice each quesadilla into wedges.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  The zucchini filling was good on its own, but it got overpowered by the pepper jack.  Toss.

Zucchini Quinoa Burgers

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup onion, chopped finely
• 1 1/2 cup zucchini, julienned on a mandolin or grated on the largest setting of a box grater
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, raw or toasted
• 3/4 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (1/2 heaping cup dry)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/3 cup dry)
• 2/3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika  

To prepare chickpeas, soak beans overnight. In the morning, rinse them and discard soak water. Place beans in a pot with enough water to submerge them by several inches. Heat to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 45 min to an hour, or until beans are tender. Drain and store in the fridge for up to three days.

To prepare quinoa, rinse quinoa in a sieve. Add to a small pot and add 2/3 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, with a lid slightly ajar on the pot, until the water is absorbed and you can see the thin “ribs” of the quinoa becoming detached from the grain. Fluff, cover, and let sit for a few moments. Store in the fridge for up to three or four days.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add zucchini, and continue to saute until zucchini is cooked through and onion is translucent. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Grind pumpkin seeds, sea salt, and pepper in a food processor till they’re broken into a fine meal.

Add quinoa, chickpeas, the dijon mustard, lemon, dill, paprika, and oregano to the mixture. Pulse to combine a few times. Then, run the motor to continue mixing the mixture. You may need to stop it a few times so that you can scrape the sides of the processor and start the motor again. You want the beans to be broken down and for the mixture to hold together well, but you don’t want to process so extensively that the mix has no more texture. If you need to add a little water to the mixture, that’s totally OK.

Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the zucchini, onion, and garlic. Mix with hands (as if you were making meatloaf). When everything is incorporated, season once more with salt and pepper, to taste.

Shape mixture into six patties with hands. Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a sautee pan on medium heat. Cook burgers for five minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Alternately, you can bake them at an oven set to 375 degrees for twenty-five minutes, flipping once halfway through. Serve.

Serves 6.

VERDICT:  I used canned chickpeas, so these weren't that time-intensive.  They held together and browned up nicely but were a little bland.  We put avocado on top, but tomato would have helped, I think. Either amp up the seasonings, or toss.

Yotam Ottolenghi's Sweet Corn Polenta with Eggplant Sauce

Eggplant:

• 2/3 cups vegetable oil
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chopped peeled tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 6 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped oregano

Heat up the oil in a large saucepan and fry the eggplant on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until nicely brown. Drain off as much oil as you can and discard it -- the safest way to do this is to scoop out the eggplant to a plate using a slotted spoon, then pour off the oil into a bowl before added the eggplant back in. You can save the oil to fry lamb chops or eggs in tomorrow.

Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir with the eggplant. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, water, salt, sugar and oregano and cook for a further 5 minutes to get a deep-flavored sauce. Set aside; warm it up when needed.

Polenta:

• 6 ears of corn
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons butter, diced
• 7 ounces feta, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper 

Remove the leaves and "silk" from each ear of corn, then chop off the pointed top and stalk. Use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels -- either stand each ear upright on its base and shave downward, or lay each ear on its side on a cutting board to slice off the kernels. You want to have 1 1/4 pounds kernels.

Place the kernels in a medium saucepan and barely cover them with the water. Cook for 12 minutes on a low simmer. Use a slotted spoon to lift the kernels from the water and into a food processor; reserve the cooking liquid.

Process them for quite a few minutes, to break as much of the kernel case as possible. Add some of the cooking liquid if the mixture becomes too dry to process.

Now return the corn paste to the pan with the cooking liquid and cook, while stirring, on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to mashed potato consistency. (Be aware that if you have a lot of liquid left in the pan, it can take a while to cook down the polenta, and it will sputter. Consider holding back some or all of the liquid. Alternately, if you like the consistency after processing, you can skip to step 5.)

Fold in the butter, the feta, salt and some pepper and optionally cook for a further 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  This was kind of a pain in the ass, despite having very few ingredients.  The polenta was worth it; the eggplant, not so much.  (Note: the amount of oil seemed excessive, so I cut it down to 1/3 cup, and it seemed fine.)  Keep 50%.  

Squash and Tomato Gratin

Toss 1 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan and 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 sliced large tomato; cook, tossing occasionally, until juices are bubbling, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Top with 2 thinly sliced large summer squash and breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 350° until squash is tender and breadcrumbs are golden brown, 20–25 minutes.

Serves 4; 290 calories.

VERDICT:  I made this to use the zucchini from Katrina, and added in a yellow summer squash from the farmer's market.  I was afraid to put the new skillet into the oven, so I transferred the tomatoes and squash into a baking dish.  This was a total failure--I think the dish was too deep, as the squash didn't cook.  I also think the tomato to squash ration was a little scanty.  Also, it reheats quite poorly.  Toss.

Chai-Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Bars

• 1 stick butter, softened
• heaping 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp cloves (or sub pumpkin pie spice)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup jumbo mixed raisins

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
Carefully pour flour, salt and baking soda into a sifter and sift over wet ingredients. Add spices and stir. Then add oats and raisins and stir once more.

Chill the dough for 5-10 minutes. Then scrape into a buttered, lightly floured OR parchment lined 8×8 metal or glass dish and flatten until smooth.

Bake for about 25-28 minutes or until nice and golden brown on top and the sides pull away from the pan.

Let cool in the pan and then slice and serve. Store covered or in baggies to keep fresh.

Serves 12; 181 calories.

VERDICT:  From the Minimalist Baker.  I made these for our neighborhood's National Night Out party.  I used 2/3 all-purpose flour and 1/3 whole wheat.  They were good enough to take, but I overbaked them a little at 28 minutes (they hadn't pulled away from the pan!), and the spices were not as prominent as I'd like.  Toss.

Zucchini Bread

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup olive or vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• 1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally. (See those pictures of the cakes inside their non-stick pans? Yup, they’re pretty much hanging out in there for the time being.) Alternately, line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.

Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Serves 32; 288 calories.

VERDICT:  Not bad.  The loaves did, indeed stick inside the pan, but the thing itself is pretty good, standard zucchini bread.  We opted for both raisins and walnuts.  Raisins=genius.  Walnuts=eh.  It's possible there is no better zucchini bread out there, but toss.  I can think of a lot of things I'd rather make.

St. Germain and Ruby Red Cocktail

• 1 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• 1 ounce gin
• 1 ounce Ruby Red grapefruit juice
• 1/2 ounce cranberry juice
• lemon peel for garnish

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the St. Germain, gin, and juices. Shake well. Strain the drink into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with lemon peel. Serve.

Serves 1.

VERDICT:  From The Merry Gourmet.  Quite delicious, even without a lemon peel garnish.  Keep.