15 Tips You Need When Cooking With Summer Squash

That time of year hits hard when you can't hide from the summer squash boom. It's on every menu, at every potluck, and in every basket of garden veggies given to you by your neighbor. It's inexpensive to buy, easy to grow, and mild enough in flavor that even picky eaters tend to enjoy it. And luckily, it's quite versatile, so even if your counter is overflowing with green and yellow squash, there are plenty of ways you can use it up. Just follow some basic tips you need when cooking with summer squash to get started.

Yellow zucchini, green zucchini, and pattypan squash tend to dominate the world of summer squash, but there are quite a few other varieties you can experiment with. One thing they all have in common is that they have a mild sweetness to them, a light grassy undertone, and soften quickly when cooked. They can be eaten raw, pickled, or cooked, and make for a fantastic addition to your summer grilling. Unlike the winter variety, summer squash is easy to work with, and the seeds are conveniently edible when raw. And technically, zucchini is one of those fruits that is commonly mistaken as a vegetable, but since everyone but botanists seem to refer to it as a vegetable, we are going to follow suit.

If you grow your own squash, then you know just how beautiful those yellow-orange blossoms can be. They're big, bold, and bright. While the female flowers produce the zucchini themselves, the male blossom's purpose is to fertilize, so once they've hung around long enough for some wandering insects to do their job, they die. Don't let them go to waste! Squash blossoms are a delicacy, and there is so much you can do with them.

Keep things simple and add them raw to your salads. The pop of color and beautiful appearance will be enough to wow your family or guests. Because they are totally edible, you can use them as a garnish in any dish, raw or sautéed. Classically, you'll find stuffed squash blossoms on the menu of high-end restaurants when they are in season. These blossoms are typically stuffed with soft cheese, lightly battered, and fried. They can also be stuffed and baked in the oven as a healthier alternative.

Gluten-free folks have been searching far and wide for pasta alternatives since the first Celiac diagnosis. And while rice and chickpea pasta can get the job done, there's nothing better than subbing for a fresh garden vegetable. Cut your zucchini into long, thin, strips and layer into your ricotta and sauce like you would noodles.

Keep in mind that if you're using a recipe that calls for noodles, noodles will typically absorb moisture, while zucchini puts off moisture when cooked. Adjust accordingly, especially if the recipe calls for no-bake noodles which require quite a bit of excess moisture in order to cook properly. As an alternative to a sheet pan lasagna, try zucchini lasagna roll-ups. Roll your cheese and fillings into thin strips of zucchini before dousing them with sauce and baking. Serving is a breeze, as each person gets their own individual roll-up. This is a great option if you have a household with picky eaters or vegetarians, as you can adjust each roll-up accordingly.

There are plenty of vegetables out there that you should be stuffing, and summer squash is certainly one of them. In fact, it's one of the easier vegetables to stuff because it can typically cook at the same rate as its filling, and doesn't need to be precooked like winter squash. Stuffed summer squash is referred to as stuffed zucchini boats, and they are mild enough in flavor to host almost any style of stuffing.

Cut off the stem of your squash and slice lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the soft center where the seeds are. This will create a small crater for your stuffing ingredients. For Mediterranean stuffed zucchini boats, add quinoa, chickpeas, basil, tomatoes, olives, herbs, and sauces. Be sure the quinoa, or any grain or meat is pre-cooked before adding it to your boat. Roast the entire boat in the oven until the zucchini is soft, and the stuffing is warm. For a Mexican-style zucchini boat, add chili or beans drenched in enchilada sauce. Top with cheddar cheese and bake until the zucchini is soft and the cheese has melted. Once it's out of the oven top it with sour cream, sliced tomato, onion, and avocado.

In the 21st century, we're being creative with replacing some favorite carbs with vegetables, and, to be honest, while the classics are good, we love to see such creativity take place. While we saw cauliflower rice coming, one of the more surprising replacements was when zucchini started subbing in for pasta. Who knew with a simple tool like a spiralizer we could create a veggie alternative to pasta and noodles that tasted so good?

Simply use your spiralizer to transform your zucchini into zoodles, and use them raw or cooked. Cooked zoodles will shrink in size significantly, and put out quite a bit of moisture. They are also more tender than pasta. If you enjoy al dente pasta, don't cook your zoodles at all. They will be slightly crunchier, but still tender. For a warm pasta dish, simply add warm sauce to the raw noodles. Use a little extra olive oil if the sauce is not sticking to the zoodles as well as you'd like.

When it comes to gluten-free or veggie-centric appetizers, the options can be limiting. Pizza rolls, pigs in a blanket, and cocktail meatballs seem to dominate the scene. But if you're looking for the perfect seasonal-produce-based appetizer that's ready in just minutes, then summer squash has your back.

Simply slice your yellow or green zucchini into quarter-inch or thicker cross sections to create little disks. Toss in a little bit of olive oil, oregano, and black pepper. Space the disks out on a lined baking sheet, and top with grated Parmesan cheese. For a vegetarian option, opt for another sharp, hard, aged cheese that doesn't contain rennet, or use vegan Parmesan. Roast in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about five minutes, or until the cheese begins to brown. Serve with toothpicks or tiny forks so your guests don't have to get their fingers greasy, and enjoy the salty-sweet combination.

Raw summer squash isn't quite as sweet or buttery as the cooked version, but it has a unique texture and flavor of its own. Although not categorized as crunchy, raw zucchini does have a bit of structure to it, especially when the skins come into play. It makes for an incredible mellow addition to any salad, adding both texture and variety when mixed with leafy greens and other vegetables.

Use a peeler to shave your zucchini, or if you have a mandoline, that can work as well. The goal is to get thin shavings from your zucchini, so if you're using a peeler, use it from end to end to get long, thin strips. These strips can be cut up, or coil themselves into the salad. In fact, you can make a lettuce-less salad with simply shaved vegetables like summer squash, carrots, beets, and cucumber. Use both green and yellow summer squash for a beautiful aesthetic, and enjoy your salad fresh or chilled, all summer long.

It seems you can buy almost any vegetable in chip form nowadays. Taro chips, beet chips, carrot chips, banana chips, and sweet potato chips are just the tip of the iceberg. So why not crips up a little zucchini for snacking, as well? The best part is, to make your own chips at home, you won't need a deep fryer.

Slice zucchini into ultra-thin disks using a mandoline, and pat them dry to remove any excess moisture. Then, toss gently in oil, salt, and the seasoning of your choosing. Bake on a lined sheet pan in the oven at a low temperature for about two hours. This slow roasting process helps to dehydrate the squash and bake off any excess liquid. If you go to remove the chips from the parchment paper and they are sticking, then they need to continue baking until they lift off effortlessly. Because zucchini are mild in flavor, you can choose any direction you'd like to go in for both seasoning and dipping sauces. Believe us, it's hard to run out of ways to use your summer zucchini harvest because the vegetable is so incredibly versatile, so snack away.