Kara Gilbert Kara Gilbert

Fennel and Summer Squash Soup

originally posted July 16, 2020

Ingredients

  • 1 large fennel bulb (fronds reserved, bulb sliced ½ inch thick)

  • Lemon juice to taste

  • Salt to taste

  • Dash or two or four of white wine to taste

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • Approximately 2lbs mixed summer squash sliced ½ inch thick

  • 1 (or many) large garlic cloves, smashed

  • 1 large onion thinly sliced

  • 1 quart chicken stock

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • ½ cup crème fraîche

  • Chopped spring onions for garnish

Preparation

    1. In a medium saucepan, cover the sliced fennel bulb with water. Add the lemon juice and a large dash of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the fennel is nice and tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the fennel and set aside.

    2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the summer squash, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and white wine and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, adding dashes of more oil and wine as needed until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cooked fennel and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened completely, about 8 minutes. 

    3. Cool the vegetable glory down to a warm temp. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

    4. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls that delight your soul. Dollop one tablespoon of the crème fraîche into each serving and swirl in prettily. Garnish with fennel fronds and thin sliced spring onions and serve. Soup can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Reheat gently over medium low heat, being careful not to burn. 

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Elaine Walker Elaine Walker

Grilled Summer Squash and Fingerling Potato Salad

Grilled Summer Squash and Fingerling Potato Salad

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallot
  • 3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 pound small fingerling potatoes, unpeeled, halved lengthwise
  • 1 pound summer squash, cut on the bias into 1/3 inch thick slices
  • 1 large red bell pepper, sliced into 1 inch thick strips

Make the dressing:

  1. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, shallot, 1 tablespoon of the basil and the lemon zest.
  2. While whisking continuously, pour in 1/4 cup olive oil.
  3. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper and set aside.

Make the Salad:

  1. Heat your grill to high. 
  2. Place potatoes in large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Salt the water heavily (it should taste like sea water) and bring to a boil. Boil just until almost tender, about 4 minutes.
  3. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a work bowl. Add 1 teaspoon basil and 1-1/2 tablespoons oil. Toss with salt and pepper.
  4. Combine squash and bell pepper in large bowl; add remaining 1 teaspoon basil and 1-1/2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat.
  5. Toss potatoes in a grill basket or, using tongs, carefully arrange them in a single layer on your grill.
  6. Grill until tender, about 10 minutes (5 minutes per side if cooking directly on the grill. If using a basket give it a good shake every minute.) 
  7. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and set aside.
  8. Repeat with the squash and bell peppers. (If cooking directly on the grill turn them a few times with tongs, being careful not to tear the squash.) 
  9. Transfer squash to the bowl with potatoes and the bell peppers to a cutting board. Cut the bell pepper strips into 1-inch bite sized pieces and add to the vegetable bowl.
  10. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss. Season with salt and pepper.
  11. Serve warm or at room temperature.
 
 
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Elaine Walker Elaine Walker

Summer Squash, Goat Cheese and Walnut Pizza

Summer Squash, Goat Cheese and Walnut Pizza

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 6 ounces pizza dough (we like Pastaworks store bought dough, but you could try to replicate Apizza Scholls awesome dough recipe)
  • 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh mozzarella, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
  • 1/4 pound summer squash, thinly sliced on a mandoline
  • 2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper
  • All-purpose flour, for dusting
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  1. Preheat the oven, with a pizza stone set on the middle rack, to 500°.
  2. In a small bowl combine the olive oil with the minced garlic and let stand.
  3. On a lightly floured work surface roll out the dough to form a 12-inch round, that is about a 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the round to a lightly floured pizza peel (Pizza peels make this so much easier but any flat, light and heat resistant board, like a thin wooden cutting board, will work with some coaxing with a spatula).
  4. Leaving a 1/2-inch border of dough, brush the round with the prepared garlic oil and sprinkle with crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper.
  5. Scatter the onion slices over the round and top with the mozzarella and parsley.
  6. Arrange the squash slices on top in a single layer, overlapping them slightly.
  7. Dot with the crumbled goat cheese.
  8. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is crisp and the squash is slightly browned.
  9. Carefully remove from the oven and transfer the pizza to a work surface.
  10. Sprinkle with the walnuts and drizzle with olive oil.
  11. Slice, serve and enjoy!
 
 
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