Ways to Enjoy Zucchini and Other Summer Squash

We used the thickest julienne blade on the Benriner Cook Help and the fine shredder (3 x 3 mm) blade on the Paderno 4-Blade Spiralizer to create our zoodles—the playful noodle-shaped spirals made from zucchini and other vegetables. You can also make the salad with straight strands cut with a mandoline.

A tiny amount of yeast and multiple rises create the fine texture in this crusty, olive-oil rich focaccia. Start it a day ahead or the morning of your next party.

“This salad is the little sister of the Provençal dish called a grand aioli,” says Amaryll Schwertner, chef-owner of Boulette’s Larder in San Francisco. She omits the seafood of the grand version and focuses instead on “the colors, flavors, and textures of summer produce.” To make a half-batch of aioli (a deliciously garlicky mayonnaise), whisk it by hand and use 1 egg yolk rather than half of a whole egg.

This lightened version of a seasonal favorite is still satisfyingly stuffed with cheese and corn, but has the barest sheath of batter.

Classic ratatouille, typically a side dish, comes front and center as the filling of these inventive tarts. Annie Somerville, chef at San Francisco’s Greens Restaurant, reenvisioned her original recipe by combining cream cheese with masa harina (dried corn dough for tortillas) in the crust, which gives it a rich toasted-corn flavor.

At the farmers’ market, look for aged sheep’s-milk cheese; bunches of mint; and small, tender yellow and green zucchini.

Chris Cosentino of Cockscomb restaurant in San Francisco likes to serve this barely seared vegetable dish hot. Since it requires a grill with a blazing fire, start with a fresh chimney, if you’re using charcoal.

These quesadillas are loaded with zucchini and shrimp and are freshened up even more with an avocado salad.

Sliced zucchini brings a fresh element to Italian sausage pasta. Served with some garlic bread and a glass of wine, it quickly becomes a satisfying summer dinner.

David Tanis, co-chef at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse, created this dish after a day at the market when everything that appealed to him was a shade of gold. We’ve adapted it from his book, A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes.

Quick, delicious, and pretty, too, this salad is nice for a special warm-weather luncheon.

Daniela Thompson’s mother was once a teacher in a German village. Her students’ parents would bring her pounds of zucchini, and she developed this soup as a way to use up all that squash. In summertime, Thompson likes to serve her mother’s soup with sliced tomatoes and hunks of baguette.

This colorful appetizer would also make a great main dish–just double the recipe so each person gets two skewers. If you have vegetarian diners, you can build some of the skewers without meatballs.

Reader Letty Ernst, of San Francisco, was inspired by Vietnamese fresh spring rolls and came up with this deconstructed version.

Here’s a great way to use summer’s abundant squashes. Toasted pine nuts and briny kalamata olives make this salad a standout.

Try this recipe for a twist on summer burgers. The addition of shredded zucchini makes the burgers oh-so-juicy and healthy.

Harvest or buy the squashes when they are 4 inches across. We found that this was the perfect size for holding a single large egg. (If the egg won’t quite fit, scoop out a little of the white with a spoon.)

When your garden is bursting with zucchini, make this simple, summer-inspired pasta. It can be whipped up in no time with ingredients you’re likely to have on hand.

This tangy-sweet relish is good on a turkey sandwich or as a dip with crackers and hummus. Jars of relish also make ideal summery gifts.

This recipe is neither oily nor dry, but perfectly moist.

You can’t taste the zucchini in these cookies, but it adds vitamins, fiber, and a nice moist texture.