A Simple Pasta Dish for All That End-of-Summer Zucchini

A few weeks ago my husband and I met out-of-town friends passing through western Massachusetts for an al fresco dinner at The Waxwing, a new restaurant in Hatfield. Our pals—as passionate about food as we are– were anxious to try the latest eatery in the area. No one was disappointed. Our group loved the pork belly with toasted corn, jalapenos, and queso fresco, as well as chicken schnitzel with lemon aïoli, fennel, and arugula, plus hake (a mild white fish) with creamed corn and fried onion slivers.

However, it was the rigatoni with zucchini, mint, and toasted breadcrumbs that caught my attention. Sadly, I didn’t order it (nor, due to Covid, did I get to taste it), but my pal, Carrie, swooned with each bite she took of this Continue reading

Zucchini and Tomato Gratin- A Delicious Summer Side

When in France, one of my delights is cooking vegetables. With each season the French look forward to the arrival of fresh produce, and always use it imaginatively. Take for example the talented host who served my husband and me a delicious dish of baked veal slices topped with a beautiful asparagus sauce, or the creative restaurant chef who paired roasted eggplant cubes with fresh orange segments and then topped them with thin slices of dried goat cheese.

My own seasonal creations are far simpler since our rented apartment has a small kitchen. Zucchini (courgettes) and tomatoes are bountiful at the near-by fruit and vegetable stands, so I bought both to make a summer gratin.

A tian, a type of Provencal gratin prepared by baking layers of vegetables in a shallow dish Continue reading

What to Do With All That Late Season Zucchini

Zucchini with sauteed onion and tomato topping ready to go in the oven.

√ Make them into soups (corn and zucchini chowder; zucchini Vichyssoise)
√ Use them in vegetable gratins (ratatouille; corn and zucchini pudding)
√ Use them in salad (tomato, chickpea and zucchini)
√ Add them to pasta (linguine, zucchini, garlic, capers, pine nuts)
√ Turn them into a savory tart (zucchini, bacon, goat cheese tart)
√ Turn them into a relish (zucchini and sweet red pepper relish)

Those are just a few ways I use zucchini, that ubiquitous late summer crop that arrives in farmers’ markets and groceries this time of year. For the past few weeks, though, I’ve prepared this versatile vegetable in a new mode inspired by my June stay in Paris. In France’s capital I noticed that chefs were preparing the squash by halving the zucchini lengthwise, then adding imaginative toppings and roasting them. At one Left Bank restaurant (Racines des Prés in the 7th), zucchini halves were mounded with black olives, crumbled feta, and chopped hardboiled eggs and then offered as a first course.

Inspired by these Parisian samplings, I created the following recipe. For my version the Continue reading

Tian of Tomatoes and Summer Squash with Basil and Mint

Recently at my local farmers’ market, I was selecting tomatoes when the farmer whispered to me. “Better buy plenty because they’re not going to be around too much longer!”  I didn’t want to hear these words. I was hoping that the luscious red orbs that have been exceptionally sweet this season would last forever, but it was September, and I knew he was right.

I bought a bunch along with that some zucchini and yellow squash to make a Provencal dish I had been working on for the new book I am writing, Sunday Casseroles (it’s due in 2014). I’ve just started to create the recipes for this collection, and am happy to share one here. Continue reading