Following up on my Fall pumpkin specials, let’s enjoy this beautiful and extremely healthy vegetable in the summer, too. It has a tremendous affect on your health, especially in reducing diets as well as cardiac problems. It is moist, soft and delicious, which makes it a perfect addition to the baby nutrition, too. Only by writing about it, many recipes from several cuisines that I am influenced by, pop up in my head. Enjoy the summer and eat seasonally!
Summer Squash Specials: no. 1: Easy Fried Summer Squash
This batter can work marvelously with any kind of vegetables in a squash of zucchini family. I enjoy it with some fresh bread, garlic sauce and any kind of BBQ, sausage, ratatouille, something simple and summerish – Easy Fried and Summer Squash.
Total Time: 25 minutes
Shopping List
Sea salt and cayenne pepper
The Batter:
100g of semi-coarse flour, sifted
2 whole eggs, separated
½ cup of milk
Sea salt
1 tablespoon of good quality lard for frying
Lemon wedges to finish
Garlic dip as per in my Salsa and Dip Page:
½ cup plain yogurt
½ crème fraîche
3 cloves of garlic, crushed, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoon of vegeta spice (salt optional)
Instructions
The Batter
Sieve the flour into a medium mixing bowl and season with a pinch of salt.
Dissolve egg yolks in a coffee mug with milk, up to ½ volume of the mug.
Next, pour the milk slowly into the flour. Mix constantly. It should have rather thicker consistency.
Whisk egg whites into the peaks and incorporate into the batter, few at a time. Mold and turn over with spatula, so you won’t beat all the air out of it.
Heat up lard in a deep-frying pan on high heat.
Soak slices of squash in the batter. Be generous.
Gently place them onto a frying pan and fry for about 2-3 minutes from each side until golden. Continue until there is no vegetable left.
The Garlic Dip
Meanwhile, prepare the dip. Place all ingredients in a hand blender: yogurt, crème fraîche, garlic and vegeta spice. Mix until smooth texture and taste. Note that the longer the dip sits, the stronger taste it gets.
Mold it into a serving bowl and refrigerate until serving.
Makes 4 serves.
Summer Squash Specials no. 2: Sweet and Sour Zucchini Stew
In Slovakia, we have a long tradition of stews and humble winter meals. You can make it from whatever you have mood for, meat, beans, vegetable, the more local and seasonal, the better.
Today, I present one of my summer favourites – Sweet and Sour Zucchini Stew. Beautiful summer squash family – a large bright green zucchini. It is delicious even raw in salads, but you can also sauté it and create such a luxurious taste in your mouth. For more fulfilling version serve with cooked potatoes and hard boiled eggs. Yummy!
Total Time: 25 minutes
Shopping List
Sea salt and ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 tablespoons of caster sugar
1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of plain flour
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon of fresh dill, washed and finely chopped
A splash of vinegar
⅓ cup of double cream
Fresh bread or cooked potatoes and eggs to serve with
Instructions
Meanwhile, heat up a splash of olive oil in a large deep-frying pan on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and let it caramelize a bit.
Once the sugar starts darkening and transforming into liquid, stir in the onion. Sauté for about 1 minute, then, add garlic.
Next, stir in the zucchini with its own juice and sauté for another 2 minutes. Mix well.
Lower the heat to low and put a lid on. Cook until soft for about 15 minutes.
When the zucchini is soft enough, pour in the milk mixed with plain flour. To avoid any lumps you can use a fine sifter.
Sprinkle with fresh dill and add a splash of vinegar. Finish with double cream and bring it to boil. Taste and taste. Season accordingly. Take off the heat and serve.
Makes 4 serves.