three bowls

Back in April, when some sunburst squash appeared in my produce delivery, I made a recipe from this book:

(Homegrown: Pure and Simple by Michel Nischan)

If you have come to this website looking for what to do with the bumper crop of squash grown in your very own garden, you might want to consider buying this cookbook.  I am not a gardener, so I guess I can't really very accurately assess its usefulness for helping with ideas for using up what you might grow at home.  But I can say that it's a beautiful book with some delicious recipes that focus on using simple ingredients that are often found in the backyard garden.

For the sunburst squash, I tried the Two-Skillet Pattypan Squash recipe.  The basic technique is to cook the squash between two cast-iron skillet to result in "roasty-toasty silken squashes perfumed with the aromatic hint of [a] fresh herb and the crunchy snap of sea salt."

To prepare the squash, I cut it in half lengthwise and then cut of the scar and the stem to make sure the opposite side was also flat.  I heated up the cast-iron skillet to medium heat and let it heat for a while to get an even temperature.  I then sprinkled sea salt on the bottom.

The recipe called for rice or grapeseed oil, but I just used canola to drizzle over the squash.  The recipe also called for thyme, but I had rosemary, so I set a sprig down in the pan, and set each squash half over it.

Continuing with my substitutions, I also didn't have a second skillet, but figured my heavy Le Creuset little pot would work fine, and it did.

The recipe recommends cooking the first side for 10 minutes, while rotating the bottom pan every couple of minutes.  Then flip the squash and cook the other side for a couple more minutes.  The recipe, though, is also written for 8- to 10-ounce squashes and I don't think mine were that big. So I cooked mine for less time, but I think I still over did it.

Nevertheless, other than the fact that I just didn't care for the flavor of the squash itself, I think this is an excellent method.  I will give the recipe four-stars for its potential; it could be used for zucchini or other summer squashes.  I'm glad, actually, that all the folks visiting the site lately looking for sunburst squash reminded me about this recipe because I think I will do it again soon with zucchini.  It is, indeed, "roasty-toasty" AND "perfumed with the aromatic hint of the fresh herb." As Nischan notes, this is a way to add some excitement to what can be a more delicate flavor and texture.