The first of the season’s summer squash is always a treat—sweet and tender. I tend to prepare it simply and the quick sauté, below, with dill and a lemon zest is just that. And make the chard rolls, if you eat meat. They’re fun to make, easier than they look and so delicious. And serve simply dressed salads with all of it. Happy cooking!
Chard Rolls with Spiced Ground Beef (Lamb)
Cucumber Dill Salad (with Salmon)
Roasted Fennel and Potatoes with Lettuce and Sausages
Green Curry with Summer Squash and New Potatoes
Sautéed Summer Squash with Dill and Lemon
Carrots and White Beans with Yogurt and Dill
Chard Rolls with Spiced Ground Beef (Lamb)
These are surprisingly quick to pull together and doable for a weeknight. Vary the beef seasonings to suit your taste/what you have on hand. Or use lamb, pork or any combination of ground meat. I’ve served it with quinoa to which you can add the savory juices that collect in the pan in which you cook the rolls.
Yields 10-12 rolls (depending on how many leaves in your bunch of chard) which serves 3-4
1 bunch chard, preferably with large leaves (10-12 leaves), stems removed and saved for another purpose
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, more to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
For sauce:
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped (or dill, though I havent tried it will dill I think it would be great)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Quinoa or rice to serve
In a medium bowl gently mix the beef with all the seasonings. Stir together the cilantro with the yogurt, lemon juice, salt and olive oil and set aside.
Rinse the chard leaves. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Blanch the chard leaves, 3-4 at a time, for about 45 seconds. You want to soften the ribs enough to be pliable but you don’t want the leaves to get too tender and fall apart. Drain and repeat until all are blanched.
On a cutting board, spread out a leaf, as pictured above, and place a scoop about 2 tablespoons worth, centered in the bottom quarter of the leaf. Roll the bottom up half a roll and fold the sides in and then continue rolling until the leaf if used up. Proceed with all the leaves. If you have filling leftover you can just pan-fry a patty with the remainder and serve with the same sauce.
Heat a medium skillet over high heat with a splash of olive oil in it. Place the chard rolls in one layer in the hot pan. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes. Uncover, add about 1/4 cup water to the pan–it will sizzle and spit–cover again, turn down to medium and cook for about 7 minutes or until the beef is cooked to your liking. The rolls will be firm to the touch when the beef is well cooked but you can also slice them open and check. If you’re making rice or quinoa pour all the juices that have accumulated in the chard roll pan into the grains.
Serve hot with the cilantro sauce.
Cucumber Dill Salad (with Salmon)
Cucumbers and dill are a classic combination. And if you have some smoked salmon, or salmon of any kind, this is the perfect side.
For the quickest preparation of salmon pan-fry salmon fillets seasoned with nothing but salt and pepper, skin side down in a hot cast iron pan or other heavy skillet in just the a little oil. Flip and finish on the other side. This will only take 4-5 minutes on the first side and another 2 or 3 on the other, but will depend on the thickness of the fillet.
1 large cucumber, scrubbed, halved lengthwise and then sliced into very thin ½ rounds
3 tablespoons chopped dill
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice (or to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
Toss the cucumbers with the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.
Roasted Fennel and Potatoes with Lettuce and Sausages
Roast at 425 degrees a pan of fennel and onion wedges alongside some potatoes, all lightly coated in olive oil and sprinkled with salt. When tender and a bit caramelized, toss them in a mustardy dressing (whole grain mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper) and serve over some lightly dressed lettuce. Grill some sausages and you’ve got a substantial dinner.
Green Curry with Summer Squash and New Potatoes
–adapted from Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson
This recipe uses a good number of summer squash. It’s great warmed up the next day for lunch either eaten as soup or over rice. I can imagine this being delicious with other veggies as well as the season changes so experiment as you see fit. It would also be delicious with some chicken or prawns if you want to dress it up a bit and make it even heartier.
Serves 4
4-5 medium zucchini or other summer squash like yellow crookneck or patty pan, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 a medium onion, thinly sliced
4-5 small potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small dice (optional but very good)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 – 2 heaping teaspoons green curry paste
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup Thai basil or regular basil leaves, packed and roughly chopped (saving a bit for garnish)
Salt
Squeeze of lime juice to taste (optional)
Cooked white or brown, long grain rice
Put a large soup pot on medium high heat. Add about 3-4 tablespoons of the solid part of the coconut milk that makes up about the top fourth of the can, to the hot pan. Add the 1 1/2-2 teaspoons (depending on how much heat you want) of green curry paste and mash it up with the back of a spoon and blend it into the coconut milk. Fry this mixture for a couple of minutes until it becomes fragrant.
Add the sliced onion and fry for a few minutes until it softens. Add the squash and potatoes, several generous pinches of salt and cook, stirring often for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic, the remainder of the coconut milk and the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add most of the basil (reserving some for a garnish) and cook for another minute or two. Adjust seasoning and add a squeeze of lime juice, if using.
Serve hot over rice and garnished with more basil.
Sautéed Summer Squash with Dill and Lemon
Quick, fragrant and nicely cooled by the yogurt on a hot summer evening. Make as much or as little as you want as it’s easily scalable.
Serves 3-4
4-5 summer squash, sliced fairly thinly
1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
Olive oil
Sea salt
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Zest of half a lemon, finely grated
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 small garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons good olive oil
Sauté onions in some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the squash and some salt and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the dill and zest.
Meanwhile stir the yogurt, garlic, a bit more salt and olive together in a small bowl. Serve the squash topped with the yogurt.
Carrots and White Beans with Yogurt and Dill
–inspired by 101cookbooks.com
This is a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. The sweetness of the carrots and creaminess of the beans is balanced with the fresh garlic and dill and finally the cool creaminess of Greek yogurt.
If you have cooked white beans (or canned) on hand this dish comes together in 15 minutes.
Serves 4
Olive oil
2 cups cooked white beans (or canned, rinsed and drained), drained
1 lb carrots, scrubbed, cut on the bias into 1/3-inch slices
1/2 cup whole milk plain or Greek yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
1 garlic clove, minced and mashed with a little salt on a board with the side of a chefs knife
2-3 tablespoons chopped dill
Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a large skillet sauté the carrots over medium high heat in a bit of olive oil until tender and browning. Add the beans and a few pinches of salt and cook for a few minutes to heat through. Meanwhile whisk the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, half the dill and a bit of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
When the beans and carrots are warm and tender place on a serving dish. Top with the yogurt sauce and a bit more dill.