Spicy Pan-roasted Summer Squash, Corn kernels, and Roasted Tomatoes Salad

The title says it all, nothing much to this dish, except the crisp freshness of late summer vegetables.

Roast or grill the corn on the cob, brush with Cajun seasoning, shave the kernels and toss with some lemon juice, keep handy.

Home-garden summer squash and tomatoes came in handy for this quick and easy salad.

Sweet Cherry tomatoes and golden pear tomatoes are two of my favorites to munch on as snack.

Dice the summer squash and onions and pan roast them in a cast iron skillet, adding a pinch of Cajun seasoning and olive oil; and while the skillet is still very hot, add the cherry tomatoes and allow to plump and almost burst with juiciness.

Combine the corn, squash, onions, and tomatoes, garnish with herbs from the garden. I went with some fresh Oregano.

Serve at room temperature for a sweet and bright summer evening salad.

Roasted Summer Squash Olive Naan Pizza

Every once in a while, knowing that not everything has to be made from scratch and labored over, I resort to putting together a quick but fairly healthy and delectable dinner on the fly.

Home garden scallop squash was handy. I harvested it a little later than I had intended but it was still fine. The scallop squash is a favorite - more for its shape and beauty than its versatility.

The summer squashes were quite ready, and I was thinking of ways to use them everyday. It's not a top favorite with kids, but, the adults enjoy it in a variety of dishes.

I also had a jar of Konex Pinjur I am addicted to: http://konex-tiva.com/spread-and-dips

Plus some olive naan sneaked home with me from the store the previous weekend, even though it was not on the list. Quelle horreur!

Anyway, it felt like a pizza kind of evening. Not the made-from-scratch that we are spoilt on by the other adult. Just a quick pizza on a flatbread is what I had the energy and time for. 

Of course, homemade Olive Pita or any of the homemade Naan would be fine for this quick pizza crust. I usually have a stash of these homemade flatbreads in the freezer. But, since the whole wheat olive naan decided to come home with me, it seemed like the thing to use. 

Chopped bell peppers, shallots, celery, and the home garden scallop squash, but kept the cherry tomatoes whole as I love the way they plump up on cooking and then burst open when biting into it.

Pan-roast the squash, along with onions and celery and other veggies, to make a fantastic combination of toppings for the pizza.

Pinjur, the red pepper, eggplant, tomato relish, is the pizza sauce, so to speak. Just an amazing burst of flavors that make this pizza rather unique and Mediterranean.

Some mozzarella and feta for the cheesy goodness, in moderation, of course.

Bake in 425°F oven for about 8 - 10 minutes. 

Paired with a simple salad made with homegarden Butter lettuce, Romaine, and Kale, tossed with some Parmesan and Greek vinaigrette, this was a completely satisfying weeknight meal.

Winter Squash Soup topped with Caramelized Onions and Home-garden Herbs

As thick wholesome winter soups go this is one of the simplest, the hardest part being peeling and cubing the winter squashes. If it is available peeled and chopped, all the better. I used the last of the home-garden butternut squash and an acorn squash.

The flavors are flexible for this soup; I just go with simple herbs usually as butternut and acorn squash have a rich flavor of their own, tending to be on the sweet side. The weed-like rosemary and oregano from the home-garden was handy and turned out good.

Ingredients
6 to 8 cups chunks of acorn and butternut squash
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 to 3 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp chopped oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Madras curry powder (optional)
2 Tbsp sambal oelek (less if preferred)
 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
a few drops of Liquid Smoke Hickory seasoning (optional)
salt to taste
water or vegetable stock as needed

Preparation

1. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a cast iron skillet, add the onions, a pinch of salt and sauté till golden brown; add a splash of balsamic vinegar if preferred and keep sautéing till caramelized; add a bit more oil if needed
2. Heat a Tbsp of oil in a pan and pan-roast the chunk of winter squash till browned on the outside; add some stock, enough to immerse the chunks, cover and cook till squash is done
3. Puree the cooked squash, return to simmer adding more stock or water as needed;  add the spices and half of the chopped fresh herbs; add a drop or so of hickory seasoning if preferred; stir well
4. Ladle the warm soup into a bowl, garnish with more fresh herbs, top with a heaped spoon of caramelized onion and serve warm

Hyacinth Beans with Home-garden Butternut Squash

Short, dark, broad, green Hyacinth beans, (Avarakkai in Tamil), used to be a favorite bean variety in my mom's kitchen. Avarakkai poduthuval simply saut ed and tossed in with dry grated coconut + green chilies paste is still one of my favorite sides, not to mention Avarakkai Paruppusili.

The dried seeds of Hyacinth green beans goes by the name of Mocha Kottai in our family. It is versatile - can be used in sambars, curries - but the most I remember it for from childhood is Mocha Kottai Chundal ('Ch' as in chair) / Sundal. It was a staple during Navarathri festival - the nine-nights ten-days long festival which incidentally is going on now, today being the 10th day, Vijayadasami.

The first of the half-dozen or so home-garden butternut squash we harvested, together with Hyacinth beans makes this wonderful side which can be served with roti, naan, paratha, rice and sambar.

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cleaned, diced
1 cup dry Hyacinth beans, soaked overnight, cooked till done but not mushy
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 green chili (optional)
tempering (optional): mustard seeds, urad dal
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan; add the tempering if using and allow mustard seeds to pop and urad dal to turn golden brown
2. Add the squash, chilies, spices, toss well, add a few Tbsp of water, cover and cook till squash is done but not mushy
3. Add in the cooked Hyacinth beans, adjust salt to taste, sauté together and allow to brown a bit

Home-garden Yellow Squash, Chard, Green beans, Tomatoes

Another delicious meal straight from the garden: the yellow Mexican squash was ready to be picked. Some chard, green chilies, green beans and tomatoes were ready as well. They all came together for this simple vegetable medley, with some corn kernels and onions.


Simply sauté together till vegetables are cooked but not mushy. Add favorite spices. I used one of my favorite store-bought paste: Maggi™ "Kitchen Secrets"™ Bhuna Masala Paste for Vegetables and Dal.

Home-Garden Summer Squash, Chards, and Pearl Onions Curry

It would be nice if I had the help of a gardener, somebody who knows what they are doing when it comes to growing plants. As it happens, I am an urban farmer at heart with nothing other than passion to support this fantasy. I lack the stamina or the knowledge to sustain vegetable gardening, even if the weather permits. Which it doesn't where I live. So, I make the most of the few months from April to September, knowing that a greenhouse is out of my limits for now.

Thanks to wonderful nurseries around town (one just around the corner from my house), I do get to plant some favorite vegetables and watch them grow. If harvesting the weed-like oregano and mint and fennel and rosemary and lavender from the garden gives me pleasure, it makes me ecstatic to get the squashes and green beans and eggplants and chards and lettuce and onions from the home garden.

Over the years, many simple and surprising recipes have come out of the home-garden harvest. I cannot imagine life without composting. Kids, thanks to support from their school, are well aware of organic waste and remember to dispose of it in the compost bin in the kitchen, which dutifully gets emptied into the Earth Machine in the backyard.

A big question I was asked when I was a newbie home gardener was whether it was worth it? It is hard to answer that question. Obviously depends on what we mean by "worth it". The effort vs. the cost is probably the topmost factor people like to weigh. And, home gardening is a lot of work, especially if doing it yourself.

Over the years, considering what it has offered in terms of intangible lessons and returns, I'd emphatically say it is well worth it. Knowing how plants grow, where our food comes from, how to care for the earth - composting, recycling - plant diseases, interdependence of nature's creatures, soil nutrition, harvesting, bugs and their role in the garden are at some level hands-on for the kids, allowing me to learn a lot in the process.

We still have to buy vegetables from the markets as we are not entirely sustained by our garden and we do visit the local farms for fresh produce on and off, so it is not like we are self-sufficient with a teeny patch of backyard garden.

I am rambling... back to the recipe. It came about as I went into the garden one evening and noticed the few vegetables that were more than ready to be harvested - summer squash, about 3 dozen little pearl onions and several large leaves of chards.

Mint, fennel and rosemary fresh from the garden gave the herbal base for this recipe. Some store-bought Rogan Josh Curry paste and Kashmiri Masala Paste gave the rich, spicy sauce base for the curry. Serve with brown rice, roti or naan.

Simply simmer together till vegetables are just cooked, adjust flavors to taste. Serve warm.

Scallop Squash Soup

Scallop squash and Zucchini from our garden are yielding fairly well. Stuffed Scallop Squash was a great way to enjoy the summer flavor. But, since I like creamy soups, I decided to make a scallop squash soup a few days ago.

Procedure is very simple: grate some scallop squash and zucchini, pressure cook it with some onions and garlic and chicken/vegetable stock, mash or puree, add some evaporated milk and simmer till thickened a bit.

Ingredients
2 medium scallop squash, grated
2 medium zucchini, grated
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion sliced
salt to taste
chicken/vegetable bullion - 1 or 2 cubes per taste
1 Tbsp Madras curry powder
¼ cup evaporated milk

Preparation

1. place all but evaporated milk and curry powder in a pressure cooker with enough water and cook till mushy
2. open the cooker and mash with potato masher or puree in a food processor till smooth
3. place the puree in a pot and allow to simmer, adding evaporated milk and curry powder
4. adjust salt to taste; garnish with chopped chives or scallions or even some grated cheese of your choice

This scallop squash soup can be served warm or cold.

rotini with squash, rosemary and chives

There's rosemary, that's for remembrance.
-- Shakespeare's Hamlet to Ophelia

I came across Green Blog Project at Ahaar today and wanted to write about two little perennials we have in our garden: Rosemary & Chives.

This pasta recipe came about as a result of trying to find Various Ways To Use Up Squash From Last Year, that we grew in our garden.


Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a perennial evergreen shrub, having pine-needle like leaves, and a strong aroma, which is an effective memory stimulant.

Some medicinal uses, sourced from garden guides:

• Rosemary helps to relax muscles, including the smooth muscles of the digestive tract and uterus - and can be used to soothe digestive upsets and relieve menstrual cramps. When used in large amounts it can have the opposite effect, causing irritation of the intestines and cramps.
• A tea made form the leaves is also taken as a tonic for calming nerves and used as an antiseptic: use one teaspoon of crushed dried leaves in a cup of boiling water and steep for ten minutes.
• Use an infusion as a rinse to lighten blond hair, and to condition and tone all hair. Try mixing an infusion half and half with shampoo to strengthen hair.
• An infusion can also be used as an invigorating toner and astringent. Rosemary added to a bath strengthens and refreshes, especially when used following an illness.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) belong to the onions, leeks, garlic family. Chives are hardy, draught tolerant, perennials, eight to twenty inches tall, and they grow in clumps from underground bulbs.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp finely chopped chives
2 cups cooked rotini pasta (or, any other favorite pasta)
salt to taste
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-6 cloves of garlic crushed
¼ cup grated cheddar
¼ cup grated mozarella
¼ cup grated parmesan
steamed broccoli florets, squash, peppers, yellow tomato (or red)- as much veggies as preferred

Preparation

heat oil in a pan, sauté the garlic and the cooked vegetables; add the chopped herbs (reserving some for garnish), adjust salt to taste; off heat, stir in the cheese

transfer to a casserole or baking dish and bake in a 350°F oven for about 10-12 minutes

Garnish with fresh chopped rosemary & chives, serve warm.

cous cous with eggplant-squash tagine

Cous Cous accompanied by some spicy tagine (vegetable stew, no meat here) is a favorite meal at home. My wee one seems to like cous cous a lot, except she likes to call it cous cous rice, as rice happens to one of her favorites.

If handy, I sometimes add wheat-meat cut up into bite-sized chunks to the tagine.

To add to the series on Various Ways To Use Up Squash From Last Year, this tagine recipe uses eggplant, squash and tomatoes as the main vegetables. But, any other favorite vegetable combination can be used for the tagine/stew.

Ingredients

flavoring spices:
1 Tbsp cumin powder
2 Tbsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp all-spice powder
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

for the tagine:
4-6 cups veggies:
eggplant, squash, tomatoes, diced
4-6 garlic cloves minced
2 Tbsp grated ginger
4 Tbsp tomato paste
cilantro for garnish


1 cup whole wheat cous cous, cooked and fluffed

Preparation

heat oil in a pan, add the onions, ginger, garlic, tomato paste and a pinch of salt, and sauté a bit; then add the spice powders and allow them to bloom

add the diced squash, eggplant, and tomatoes, cover and let it cook, adding a little water if needed; let it simmer till veggies are cooked through but not mushy; taste and adjust spices if needed

off heat, garnish with cilantro and serve warm with cous cous.

annatto ghee roasted vegetables

Roasted vegetables are a treat. And, pan-roasted vegetables are quick and easy to throw together on a week night. With just a touch of flavored annatto-garlic ghee, these roasted vegetables come to life...

We had a good yield from our garden last year. Some of the hubbard, crookneck and butternut squash we harvested have been resting in the cool basement, aging gracefully. I wanted to use them up soon, so, I've been incorporating squash in my recipes lately. Perhaps over the next few weeks, I can share some of them here.

The varieties we harvested from our garden cook up in no time - just throw the chunks in a hot pan, cover and let the steam soften them - takes just a few minutes, usually.

This roasted vegetables recipe here is the first in the series I hope to do on Various Ways To Use Up The Squash From Last Year :-)

Ingredients
6-8 new baby potatoes, cut in half
3-4 cups of cut squash, cut into fairly big chunks
1-2 bell peppers (green, or red, or yellow)
10-12 asparagus spears (optional)
2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled, sliced
coriander for garnish
salt to taste
2 Tbsp annatto-garlic ghee

Preparation

par-cook the potato halves and asparagus in microwave or boiling water, drain, set aside

heat 1 Tbsp annatto-garlic ghee in a pan, add the garlic, bell peppers, a pinch of salt and sauté till pepper softens a little; remove from pan and drain

add another Tbsp annatto-garlic ghee in the same pan, add the squash, sauté a bit, cover and let the squash soften a bit; then, throw in the potatoes and asparagus, some salt to taste, adjust the heat, and pan-roast the vegetables till desired brownness, stirring as needed; toss in the garlic and peppers sautéed earlier

Serve warm with chicken breast, or, toss in with pasta, or serve with some hot basmati rice. I enjoy it as-is - a meal by itself.

Butternut squash poduthuval

Butternut squash is a favorite winter squash - its texture and mild sweetness makes it quite versatile. It takes well to spices, but is also wonderful with a mild flavoring of coconut+green cilies, which is what I do here.

This is a simple side which can be served with rotis or rice and rasam or sambar.

This is a quick and easy recipe that is pretty much the same as my young green jackfruit recipe. Can substitute Pumpkins for Butternut Squash.

Ingredients
4-5 cups peeled diced butternut squash
1/2 cup dry grated coconut
3-4 green chilies (adjust depending on variety of chili)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or canola oil)
water as needed

tempering:
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Preparation

1. grind the grated coconut and green chilies into a fine powdery paste and set aside
2. heat oil in a pan, add the tempering: chana dal first, when it starts to turn golden add the urad dal and when they turn brown add the mustard seeds and then the cumin seeds
3. when mustard seeds splutter and die down, add the diced butternut squash, some salt, the coconut-chili paste and stir well till it is coated with oil and tempering
4. add a few tablespoons of water, cover and let the squash cook a bit till it is soft but not mushy; stir once in a while
5. off heat garnish with cilantro or curry leaves, if available
6. serve warm with roti or steamed basmati rice