Sunday, August 1, 2010

How to cook summer squash, part 1

Remember Barbara Kingsolver's Disappearing Zucchini Orzo? I have riffed on that recipe repeatedly, often substituting rice (white or brown) for the orzo. It's such a great formula for using a lot of summer squash. Grate it up and cook it the heck down. I love stirring in a cup or so of grated romano cheese, but it's delicious without.

Tonight, I'm doing it with brown rice and no cheese (it was a heavy-dairy day), but I threw together a little relish-like thing for the top: small dice of tomato, green pepper, peach and onion, with minced serrano for a little kick.

I was pleased that I thought of the peach. I made jam today, and had an extra peach that had been blanched but not yet peeled. And I love sweet fruitiness combined with the subtle heat of a chili pepper. I'm looking forward to this one!

(Hopefully I'll post a picture later!)