Ribbons of squash

Friday, August 08, 2008

There’s been a lot of zucchini and yellow summer squash popping up all over the place over the couple of weeks.  There’s that old gardening joke about your neighbors starting to avoid you because you hand out zucchini every time you see someone you know.  Just like everyone else, I had a few zucchini and yellow squash hanging out around the house, and I wanted to use it but was running short on ideas after last week’s squash fest.

I got to thinking about my favorite squash recipe: zucchini ribbons with gnocchi, tomatoes, and browned butter.  While I do plan to make a batch of gnocchi shortly, I didn’t have time to make it in time to use my squash…so I improvised.  And that’s how I came up for dinner the other night: zucchini and yellow squash ribbons with goat cheese and mushrooms.

Last Chriskwanzakah, I bought my husband a ceramic vegetable peeler.  As it turns out, it’s perfect for making vegetable ribbons.  The ceramic blade just slices perfect, thin ribbons.  If you don’t have a good, sharp peeler, try using a mandoline or test out your knife skills.  For this, I collected seven or eight zucchini and yellow squash and started in with the peeler.  Stop slicing off ribbons when you start to see seeds.

Heat up some butter and olive oil in a skillet, saute a bit of garlic for a few minutes and then toss in the squash ribbons.  Cook them down about four minutes or so, and then toss in some sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley.  Cook another four minutes and then toss in 4 oz. of goat cheese.  Then just keep stirring until the cheese is melted and you’re done.  It’s super easy, and very delicious…and all local but for the salt, pepper, and oil.

zucchini, Landisdale Farm - 100 miles
yellow squash, Landisdale Farm - 100 miles
garlic, my garden - 0 miles
parsley, my garden - 0 miles
shiitake mushrooms, Mother Earth Mushrooms - 31 miles
goat cheese - Patches of Star Dairy, 70 miles