Summer Squash, Pine Nut, Mint Condiment

This is a further experiment in the “vegetable as sauce” category, and takes salsa verde and pesto as inspiration, along the idea of Moroccan “salads”. Use this on fish, chicken or meats, spread on sandwiches, use as a side or in a salad.

INGREDIENTS:

2 rounded cups summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch, or slightly finer, dice (around 3-4 medium zucchini)

1/3^rd cup heaping pine nuts, coarsely chopped if large*

5 scallions, trimmed and outer layer pulled off with a towel, whites and greens separated

½ cup mint leaves, loose, cross-cut into fine chiffonade**

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves, finely sliced with a very sharp knife

1 garlic clove, peeled and split lengthwise

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar, or as needed

Crunchy flaky salt and pepper to taste

Flavorful, non-peppery olive oil as needed

METHOD:

Slice the scallion whites straight across into thin rounds and keep separated from greens. Finely slice the greens on a diagonal to yield ¼-inch long slices.

Bring a pot of water large enough for a steamer that will hold the squash to a boil. Put the garlic into the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and put under cold water to stop the cooking. (This process will pull some of the heat from the garlic, leaving behind the lovely garlic flavor and a lighter garlic perfume) Finely mince the garlic.

Check that the water in the pot will be below the bottom of the steamer. Add a good amount of salt and wait until water returns to the boil. Put the steamer basket in place and add the squash. Place a lid on the pot and steam for 1 minute, and taste. You want the squash to be no longer raw, but not cooked until soft. The squash will continue to cook when you pull it from the heat, so it should still retain a little firmness when you pull it. The time is takes to reach this state will vary on how big a pot you use, the water content of the squash, and the actual size of your cuts of the squash. Taste every 30 seconds after the first minute, and when the squash still has a little bite to the center drain it and spread on a towel on a sheet pan to drain, being sure to spread out the squash so it cools quickly and dries.

While the blanching and steaming is happening, heat a large (10-12 inch) sauté pan over medium heat. When the pan is good and hot, film well with oil. When oil is quite hot-you should see some surface rippling, add the squash. Toss to coat with the oil, and sauté until some color is appearing on the squash, about 1 minute. Remove 1/3^rd of the squash to a non-reactive bowl. Make a well in the center of the squash, add a splash of oil and heat up. Add the garlic and sauté 15 seconds. Add the scallion whites and cook 20 seconds, stirring gently to keep the garlic from burning. Once the scallion starts to soften, toss the lot to mix. Season with just a little salt and pepper, and add half the marjoram. Drizzle with a little oil and cook until the squash is cooked through. Use a wooden spoon to lightly mash some of the squash (around 25-30% of what’s in the pan), and stir around. Turn squash out into the bowl with the rest of the squash and gently fold together.

Drizzle the lemon juice or vinegar over the squash, and toss to distribute. Taste, and add more as needed. You want just a bit of tartness to bring out the flavors of the squash, but not so much that you taste the acid as a discrete ingredient. Season with pepper-avoid salt to prevent the squash from weeping and making a very wet and mushy condiment-to taste. Scatter the marjoram and 2/3rds of the mint over the dish. Use half the amount of mint leaves for the scallion greens and scatter them evenly over the dish. Scatter the pine nuts evenly over the bowl. Gently fold everything together, and taste for balance. Add more mint and/or scallions if the squash can handle it without being overwhelmed. The flavor of the squash should be foremost with the herbs and onion in supporting roles. Drizzle a little oil in to yield a finished dish with a consistency like a loose hummus-it should sort of clump, not being a thick paste nor a bunch of bits of squash and onion and nuts that scatter as soon as you plate them. Add a bit if crunchy salt right after you place the condiment on whatever you decide to use it on to prevent everything from softening or discoloring. Store in the refrigerator if not using right away while warm.

Chef’s Notes: *There seem to be several sizes of pine nuts showing up in stores these days, form the larger ones from Italy and Europe to fairly small ones listed as being from Russia, Korea, and Vietnam. The latter type are the perfect size for this recipe. **Typically a chiffonade is rolled along the length. In this instance you want shorter strands, so roll the stacked leaves across the width. This dish can use pistachios in lieu of piñons, and you could add orange instead of lemon. Use this for fish, poultry, as a side dish, or part of a mezze. Use warm to top fish and proteins, use at room temp or cool as a salad.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen