Week 7 Sandra’s Squash Salad

Corn

Apples

Peaches

Nectarines

1 large onion

1 yellow zucchini

Swiss chard

This week’s box brings the first sweet corn of the year.  Almost everyone loves sweet corn in the summer.  I especially love getting corn that has just been picked.  The longer corn sits, the more of the natural sugars turn to starch.  I always smile at the store watching people husk the corn in the store.  For really sweet corn, you should cook it no more than 15 minutes after removing the husks.  I can’t imagine anyone running home and throwing the corn into boiling water.  Essentially what they are doing is making sure the corn is not fresh when they cook it. 

There are lots of ways to cook corn.  Most people like to boil it.  I’ve seen home cooks who add milk or sugar to the water.  I’ve seen ears totally immersed in water and sometimes steamed.  If I’m cooking in the kitchen, I like salted water heated to a hard boil with the ears added only when the water is boiling.  I cook my corn for about 6 minutes.  Overcooked corn is mushy and kind of gross.  But my favorite way to cook corn is on the grill.  I cut off the ends of each ear, and put the corn on the hottest part of the grill.  Turning every 4 to five minutes, corn is done in about 20 minutes.  It’s especially good when it burns a little bit, and we often fight over the burt pieces.

But this week is about Zucchini, not corn.  A couple of years ago, squash was so abundant, that Great Country Farms was sending squash in every box.  I published about 30 zucchini recipes, and had a great time trying to figure out just what to do with all that squash.  I considered repurposing one of those recipes, when I came up with a better idea…and the idea comes with a story.

Social Media is an amazing thing.  About 9 years or so ago, my sister was organizing an online family outreach project when she discovered a previously unknown relative who lived in Denmark.  After some back and forth, we learned that we had a first cousin who is just a few years older than us that we never knew existed.  Sandra came to the US that summer and met the entire family.  It was exciting to hear her story, learn about her and her family, and to welcome her into our extended family.

We have kept in touch over the years. Family members have travelled to Denmark to see her and her family, and she and her clan come to the states periodically.  She is a wonderful cook and has owned restaurants in Copenhagen, done food styling and is a huge fan of farm to table cooking.  This week’s recipe comes from my cousin.  I’ve made some minor modifications, but the essence is all her.

1 zucchini (1 pound)
½ teaspoon salt
½ red onion
1 small clove of garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive Oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (use red wine vinegar if you can’t find sherry vinegar)

1 handful parsley
1-2 sprigs fresh mint
Freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash the zucchini, trim and discard the ends, and cut crosswise into 1/5-inch thick rounds.  A mandolin or BenReiner is great for this and will give you uniform slices.  If you use a mandolin, be very careful.  They are sharp and cutting a finger is really easy.  If you slice by hand, try to make sure you have a uniform thickness..  Arrange the rounds in one layer on a large cookie sheet and sprinkle them with the salt. Place in oven for 7-8 minutes, until they soften slightly.

3. Finely chop red onion and garlic, and mix onion and garlic with the oil and vinegar in a large bowl.  If you like a little more dressing, make more using a 2 to 1 oil to vinegar ratio.

4. Let the zucchini cool for 30 minutes or more.  Once the zucchini is cool add the squash to the bowl and toss them with the dressing.

5. Finely chop the parsley and the mint leaves.  Add the parsley and mint to the squash and mix the salad well.  Be gentle so that the zucchini stays whole. Top with freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.

Enjoy!