Where did the summer go? It’s almost Labor Day! I’ve been meaning to post several basic recipes to use that wonderful summer produce, but haven’t gotten around to it. So, without further ado, Cucumber Salad, Summer Squash Strata, Zucchini Fritters, and Peach Salad with Maple Vinaigrette.
Basic Cucumber Salad
So simple and refreshing.
2 large cucumbers
1/2 large red onion
1/4 C sour cream
1/2 C plain yogurt
1/2 C apple cider vinegar (or if you have some fancy vinegar like Aunt Alison’s wonderful homemade chive blossom vinegar, by all means, use that)
Salt & Pepper
Pinch of sugar
No big secret techniques here. Slice the cucumbers, thinly slice the onion, and mix everything together. This is best if you let it marinate a little. Feel free to play with the sour cream/yogurt ratios, or omit it entirely. Add some fresh dill for a really lovely twist.
Summer Squash Strata
1 large summer squash or zucchini
3 medium tomatoes
1/2 large any kind of onion
1/2 C tzatziki (can use yogurt or sour cream, with or without cucumber, garlic, and dill)
1 C shredded medium cheese (any kind you like really – cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack, provolone, etc.)
Salt & Pepper
Slice the squash and tomatoes in 1/4 inch slices. Slice the onion very thin. Start layering in a small casserole (I used a 1.5 qt. oval casserole). Start with squash, then tomatoes. Salt and pepper, then layer some of the tzatziki. Add some sliced onions. Repeat until your ingredients are gone or the casserole is full. Try to layer them snugly so there’s not too much extra space. Top with the cheese and bake at 375 degrees until the veggies are done and the cheese is browned and bubbly. Good warm, at room temp, or cold the next day for breakfast, if you’re weird like me.
Zucchini Fritters
This isn’t so much a recipe as a general guideline.
Shred about 4 cups of zucchini. More or less, it doesn’t really matter. Place the zucchini in a fine sieve over the sink or a bowl and lightly salt (the salt draws out some of the water in it). Let this sit for at least half an hour, then give it a good squeeze to get rid of a lot of the water. Sometimes I even wrap it in a clean old towel and wring it out. When it’s fairly dry, dump it in a bowl. Add an egg, salt, pepper, and whatever extras you want. Some ideas: garlic, shallots, fresh herbs, corn, cotija cheese, cheddar, etc. Mix everything, then start adding flour and a couple teaspoons of baking soda, little by little, until you have a thick batter consistency. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet (cast iron works well for this – or use a griddle) until it’s sizzling hot, then drop the zucchini mixture 1/4 C per fritter into the hot oil. After a minute, carefully check the other side. If it’s nice and golden brown, carefully flip them and cook on the other side until they’re done. I like these like latkes, with sour cream and chives. They’re also good just plain.
Grilled Peach Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
A perfect salad for transitioning from summer to fall.
Mixed greens (I like a mix of lettuce, spinach, and arugula)
Toasted Pecans (to taste)
Blue cheese (to taste)
3 peaches
2 Tbl vegetable oil
2 Tbl pure maple syrup
Maple Vinaigrette
Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. It’s best to use just barely ripe or not-quite-ripe peaches for this, as ripe peaches will be too soft. Heat up a grill pan, bbq, or panini press (I used the Griddler) Mix the vegetable oil and maple syrup in a small bowl, then brush the mixture over the cut side of the peaches. Place them, cut side down, on the grill until there are nice grill marks (approx. 2 minutes). Turn them 90 degrees and grill for another couple of minutes to get the nice cross-hatch marks. Remove the peaches when they’re slightly softened.
Assemble the salad in a shallow bowl. Stack the greens, sprinkle over the blue cheese and toasted pecans, then nestle the peach halves, cut side up, into the greens. Drizzle maple vinaigrette over everything.
Maple Vinaigrette
1/3 C pure maple syrup
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/3 C apple cider vinegar
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/3 C + olive oil
I throw everything into a jar and shake it to emulsify, then put it in a salad dressing bottle to keep. It’s delicious and lasts forever. Play around with the ratios, as these are just an estimate. Whenever I make a vinaigrette I just keep mixing and adding things until it tastes right. I also generally prefer less oil, but normally the ratio of oil to vinegar in a vinaigrette is anywhere between 2:1 and 4:1. I prefer closer to equal parts.
mybigthirty 