Summer Vegetable Hash

There are a few go-to not-really-a-recipe recipes that I rely upon for celebrating or even just using up really great summer produce. Usually it’s hot, tossed pasta dishes like this one or this one; stir fry, like this one; chopped vegetable salads like this one and this one, or soup. After a recent bit of messing around, I’m going to confidently add another category: vegetable hash.

I know, hash sounds so dull, so old fashioned. So lumberjack-y. Well, get over it. This frugal classic can be fresh and lively, a bright medley of sautéed vegetables, pumped up with golden fried potatoes. The method is simple; so simple that you might even call it rustic. But like every other rustic dish that stands the test of time, it’s extremely satisfying. This particular version was surprisingly tasty, the verdant flavors and delicate crunch of browned summer vegetables and new potatoes enhanced by deeply browned onions.

I used yellow summer squash (from my garden) and super-fresh green beans (from someone else’s garden), for my hash, but you can customize what’s in your frying pan. I feel that potatoes are a must for it to be hash, but other forms of summer squash, such as zucchini or patty-pans are no-brainer substitutions. Cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, and sugar snap peas would be good here, too, although cooking times might need to be adjusted.

You could add some protein to this simple hash by stirring in diced ham, cooked bacon, beef or chicken, some seasoned firm tofu cubes, or cooked chickpeas. You could also melt a layer of cheese on top at the end of cooking, or serve it with a fried or poached egg. Bread of some kind is nice on the side. I liked the Rosemary Cheddar Soda Bread I baked the same day (more on that soon), but a crusty country slice or a piece of whole wheat or rye toast would be mighty fine, too.

 

To make a Summer Vegetable Hash, you don’t need a lot of one ingredient or another, just a few handfuls of whatever is fresh or even cooked and left over (adjust cooking times accordingly). You don’t need any special skills or equipment, just a knife and a pan and the ability to use each without hurting yourself. You don’t need to be ready to show off to make hash, you just need to be hungry at breakfast, brunch, lunkfast, dinner, supper or midnight. 

Summer Vegetable Hash

I like to par-cook potatoes before frying them. I usually use the microwave and offer some simple instructions for that here. You could use leftover cooked potatoes, too. Just don’t cook them in the pan as long. They just need to be cooked through and thoroughly browned.

¾ pound thin-skinned potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon coarse salt, divided

½ pound yellow summer squash, cut into ½ to ¾ -inch pieces

4 ounces green beans, stem ends removed, cut into ½ inch lengths

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Partially cook the potatoes. I use the microwave as follows: poke the skins of the potatoes in several places with a fork or sharp knife. Place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Shift the positions of the potatoes in the bowl so those on the bottom are moved to the top. Microwave for 1-2 minutes more depending on the size of the potatoes. The potato flesh should give just slightly when squeezed. Set aside until cool enough to handle. (Or cool and refrigerate for a day or two.)

2. Cut the cooled potatoes into about ½ - ¾ -inch cubes.

3. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat (or use your favorite skillet.) Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the potatoes and another ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook 5-8 minutes, turning the potatoes frequently until they are golden brown.

5. Add the squash, green beans, and ¼ teaspoon more salt. Cook and stir the mixture another 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are well browned and the squash and beans are browned and tender-crisp. The onions will be very brown and caramelized at this point.

6. Stir in the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Cook a minute or two more until the thyme is wilted. Adjust seasonings if needed. Garnish or embellish as desired.

Makes 2 large main-dish servings or 4 side dish servings.

Coming Soon: Rosemary Cheddar Soda Bread and 7 Favorite Summer Muffins

Pasta with Summer Squash, Corn and Bacon

It’s been while since I’ve just given up and thrown what was left of the week’s fresh summer vegetables into an impromptu pasta or stir fry dish (although it looks like stir fry tonight: bok choy, cabbage, beans and broccoli). Therefore, I don’t have summer pasta fatigue just yet. I’m still enthusiastic to try a new vegetable sauté tossed with noodles. Of course, if the recipe also happens to be enhanced with cream and bacon, who can blame me?

The recipe I tried recently was in a stack of yellow summer squash recipes. It was quite simple, which I’m happy to read as “quick and easy” on these hot late summer days. It also promised to be flavorful, if a bit rich, since it was indeed enhanced by the cream and bacon alluded to above. The bounty from our CSA has come to the point, however, where using only one type of vegetable at a time seems a frivolous waste of a meal, not to mention a total bore. Though it made the dish even more yellow, I opted to add juicy kernels of fresh, sweet corn.

It turns out that rotini pasta not only looks good in yellow, but tastes great in yellow, too. You could use other kinds of pasta in this dish, but the point should be to trap the rich, thick sauce and sweet, creamy corn in the twists and folds of the noodle. I was thrilled with the flavor of the corn, which, of course, goes well with bacon and cream, but I was also very pleasantly surprised by the counterpoint its texture makes to the silky cooked squash and floppy pasta. The crisp bacon adds another nice texture, and since the squash and corn are cooked in the rendered bacon fat, its smoky flavor permeates every bite. (If you don’t want to use bacon, skip the bacon steps and sauté the squash and corn in about 2 tablespoons melted butter. More yellow!)

I served this dish with a simple cherry tomato and basil salad and garlic bread. The only thing missing was a great, crisp, well-chilled white wine, which not only would have tasted fabulous, but also would have been yellow. As long as the pasta looked and tasted so good in its matching yellow outfit, it was kind of a shame not to have the perfect coordinating accessory on hand. Even Harry was hoping for wine to go along with this dinner. Note to self: start buying wine by the case!

Pasta with Yellow Squash, Corn and Bacon
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine

6 ounces short-cut pasta, such as rotini or cavatappi
3 slices thick-cut bacon (or 4 slices of thinner bacon)
1 pound yellow summer squash (about 2 medium squash), quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked and silk removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup heavy cream
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is just a little bit more firm than you like to eat it. (It will cook a little bit more later.)

2. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and set aside.

3. In a large skillet that has a lid (you’ll use the lid later), cook the bacon until it is well browned, turning to cook evenly. Remove from the skillet and set aside on paper towels to drain and cool. Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan and return it to medium heat.

4. Add the squash, corn, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and salt. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook about 7 or 8 minutes or until the squash looks softened. Stir occasionally.

5. Uncover and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, or until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated.

6. Chop the cooked bacon. Stir the bacon, cream, and pasta into the squash mixture. Cook and stir another 2 to 3 minutes or until the cream has thickened. Garnish with the parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Makes about 4 main-dish servings.

Other recipes like this one: Pasta with Kale, Summer Squash, Olives and Feta Cheese, Corn and Green Onion Tart with Bacon, Corn Chowder with Edamame

One year ago: Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives and Basil

The Squash are Coming! The Squash are Coming!

Get out the lanterns and signal the invasion. The summer squash are back. Zucchini and yellow crooked-neck squash all in prolific force and ready for new recipes. Of course there are plenty of good old recipes to make, but with summer squash being what it is, there should be plenty left for experimenting.

My most recent test was on a recipe for a simple chilled soup featuring the yellow summer squash I got in a CSA box. These are such pretty little things with delicate, smooth skin and subtle favor to match. It seems almost a shame to chop them up, cook them in broth and mercilessly puree them into a smooth and creamy chilled soup. Well, okay, perhaps not exactly a shame.

This soup has subtle flavors that satisfy nonetheless. It’s filling without being fatty, nicely seasoned with a little cumin and coriander, and a little bit tangy from the plain yogurt added at the end. I sweetened it with a bit of carrot, which also enhanced the pale yellow color of the final product.

As usual, I used an immersion blender to puree the soup, but you cold use a regular blender and puree it in batches. Just be careful with the hot soup. It’s probably best to remove the little insert in the blender lid and place a folded towel over the empty space. That will allow some of the heat and steam to escape while blending. The soup can probably be made more smooth in the regular blender. My immersion blender tends to leave a few little bits behind, which I don’t mind. (I’d rather chew a few bits of vegetable than clean the blender container!)

I’m sure additional or different herbs and spices could be added to this soup, or perhaps even other vegetables. I’m thinking of trying this again when I can stir some fresh sweet corn into it. It really is a blank canvas waiting to be punched up, but I was actually quite surprised at how flavorful this simple version really is. Perhaps it could even be made into a green soup with zucchini instead of the yellow squash. At the rate the zucchini is invading, I might just have to try it.

Chilled Summer Squash Soup
Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine. I used unsalted, homemade broth in this soup. You may want to adjust the amount of salt you add based on your ingredients.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrot
½ teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
1 pound chopped yellow summer squash
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups vegetable broth
6 ounces (about ¾ cup) plain yogurt
additional yogurt and chopped fresh herbs for garnish if desired

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the squash and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cumin and coriander and cook 1 minute more, stirring frequently.

3. Add the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for about 30 minutes, or until the carrot and squash are tender.

4. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, uncovered, at least 10 minutes. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Taste for salt and add more if desired. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

5. Whisk in the yogurt. Taste for salt again and add more if desired. Serve garnished with a dollop of yogurt and herbs.

Makes 4-5 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Cold Cucumber Soup, Gazpacho

One year ago: Pain au Chocolate

Summer Squash Casserole

I spy something that begins with the letter M. That’s right. More zucchini. Last year our CSA had relatively few zucchini to offer due to a shortage of pollinating bugs, especially bees. Well, they must have done something right this year, because the zucchini are back with a vengeance.




Oh, but it’s not just zucchini. There are other summer squash varieties as well. We have little yellow patty-pan squash that are just so cute, I wish they had cheeks to pinch. And there are the pretty yellow crooked-neck squash. Both of these perform similarly to zucchini in dishes (if not in the garden), and I tend to use them interchangeably. The patty-pans are a little more firm and their skin is less delicate than the zucchini or yellow squash, but if you shred them as I did in this summer squash casserole, those differences don’t seem to matter.

This casserole is a bit decadent, what with the heavy cream and the buttery breadcrumb topping. It reminds me of the fabulous yellow squash casserole my sister in-law makes. That one is further gilded with a topping of Cheez-It crackers. (She gave me the recipe once, but I promptly lost it. My apron is not the only think in my life that’s a bit messy.)

I use the shredding blade on my food processor to grate the squash, but you could use a box grater if that’s more readily available (and you’re made of stronger, more patient stuff than I am). I also used the food processor to make the breadcrumbs for the topping, although I used the regular processing blade for that. I recommend making your own breadcrumbs out of extra bread that you may have that is past its prime. Most breads will do, if they aren’t too sweet or have too many chunky bits mixed in. I often end up using leftover homemade whole wheat sandwich bread, but when I made this squash casserole, I used some store-bought white bread that had over-stayed its welcome. (Does this stuff never go bad?)

As long as the bread isn’t too fresh, it can simply be torn or cut into coarse pieces (I don’t bother to remove the crust) and ground up in the food processor. You can pick and pull apart really dry bread with your fingers or a knife if you don’t have a food processor. (I found this to be easy to do while talking on the phone.) I freeze what I don’t use right away in a zip-top freezer bag.

I used basil in this dish because I happen to have a lot of it in my porch garden right now. Other herbs, such as mint, parsley, chives, sage, and thyme would be good as well. I could also see other vegetables making a fine contribution, such as shredded carrot or fresh sweet corn…and maybe some Cheez-Its on top.

Summer Squash Casserole with Basil and Onion

1 pound summer squash (zucchini, yellow crooked-neck, patty pan, or a mixture)
½ of a medium yellow onion
1 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
½ cup chopped fresh basil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves minced garlic
¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter

1. Grate the squash and onion using the shredding blade of a food processor or by hand with a box grater (largest holes).

2. Toss the grated squash and onion with the salt in a colander. Allow to stand and drain in the sink for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spin the squash mixture dry in a salad spinner, or lay it out on a clean towel and pat dry.

4. In a large bowl, mix the drained squash mixture with the basil, Parmesan and garlic. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish and pour the squash mixture in. Pour the heavy cream evenly over the squash mixture.

5. Melt the butter and toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter until completely moistened. Spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the squash mixture.

6. Bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes or until the topping is well browned and the cream has been absorbed.

Makes 4 main dish servings, 6-8 side dish servings.