Christmas and New Year – food for Summer
Those in sowy winter may be able to buy these at a decent price, but I don’t know. So I hope I’m not making you green and yellow with jealousy here. We’re still wearing t-shirts and shorts. In January we may sleep with a thin fluffy cover and use a light jacket or shawl in the evenings and early mornings. So, we have oodles of fresh vegetables available as we are not buried under snow. Following from my favorite Russian food site, four new treatments for what is known as summer squash but for us, it is everyday squash.
Just reading through the methods as I’ve not made these in this form, do not peel the squash ever – just wash them. And, for that puree, don’t use water, use a soup base.
1. Zapekanka (casserole) with squash and brinza
Even those who are indifferent to vegetables will love squash drenched in cream sauce. If you don’t have brinza use any salted soft cheese, such as feta.
Ingredients:
3 small squashes
50 g of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1 glass of milk
2 eggs
salt and ground black pepper
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of basil
200 g of brinza (or any salted soft cheese)
100 g of hard cheese
sunflower oil
Cooking:
Wash and peel the squashes; slice into thin circles and boil for 3-5 minutes. While the squashes cool, prepare the sauce. Fry the flour in butter. Whisk milk and eggs, then add to flour, stirring until it’s completely dispersed. Add salt and pepper, and remove from heat.
Grease the baking pan with sunflower oil and put the squashes in; better to overlap. Grind the greens and mash with brinza. Put this mixture on the layers of squash. Pour in the sauce, and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at a temperature of 200° C.
2. Soup-puree with squash and ginger
Russians are crazy about soups, and this one can be cooked quickly, and is especially great for summer days when nobody wants to waste time cooking. A simple soup takes on new flavors if you add some ginger.
Ingredients:
2 liters of water
3-4 squashes
3-4 medium potatoes
1 small onion
30 grams of parsley
100 ml cream, 22% fat
20 g of ginger
2 cloves garlic
salt
vegetable oil
Cooking:
Heat vegetable oil in a pot, add chopped onions and garlic until soft. Add large chopped squashes, potatoes and parsley; pour water and salt, (I will use a soup stock) and cook for 30-40 minutes. Add grated ginger to the vegetables and mix in a blender. Pass through a sieve so no ginger fibers remain. Bring soup to a boil, add cream, and stir constantly for a little while.
You can serve soup with cream cheese, croutons, pumpkin seeds and chips from squash.
3. Layered squash pancakes
This snack will make your table shine, and the ingredients are affordable.
Ingredients:
1 large squash
1 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of semolina
2 eggs
sunflower oil for frying
1 onion
1 carrot
2 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of herbs
200 g of natural yogurt
Cooking:
Wash a squash and peel, then grate. Salt and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Drain the liquid, add flour, semolina and eggs. Use the mixture to fry pancakes: you should get 5 or 6 pancakes. Grease the baking pan with sunflower oil.
Peel and chop the onions and carrots. Fry in a small amount of oil, and add pressed garlic and chopped greens.
Layer the cake, drench every yummy pancake with yogurt and spread the carrot-onion layer.
4. Crispy squash sticks
Choose spices as you like. For me, it is surely a sprinkle of a few chile flakes.
Ingredients:
1 squash
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
Cooking:
Peel the squash and cut into bars that are 1 cm thick. Mix olive oil with salt and spices, and marinate the squash for 20-30 minutes.
Bread the squash and place on a baking pan covered with parchment. Place in an oven heated to 200° C for 15-20 minutes, until a golden crust forms on the bars.