Sautéed Summer Squash
Red, green, and yellow vegetables combine for a beautiful, light side dish. Dry vermouth and lemon juice add a touch of interest and brightness. Serve this alongside Venison Salisbury Steak.
Serves: 4
Time: 20 minutes
3 Tbsp. salted butter
1 c. diced red bell pepper
6 c. of mixed zucchini and yellow squash, seeds removed, sliced ½” thick
1/3 c. dry vermouth
1 - 1 ½ tsp. fresh lemon zest
1 ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add squash and continue to cook and stir until tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, add the vermouth then return to the heat and stir to coat. Add lemon zest and juice, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Summer squash is a versatile ingredient and available in abundance in mid to late summer. Successful gardeners often have squash to spare and the vegetables are frequently very large with lots of seeds. Removing the seeds before cooking helps squash retain it’s shape during cooking and makes it a pleasant, slightly firm texture with no mushy middles. For people whose restricted diets may prevent them from eating seeded vegetables, this preparation will let squash return to their menu. Two tools make seed removal quick, neat, and easy - I use either a butter curler (one with a hook shaped stainless blade like the one pictured), or a melon baller, depending on the size of the squash.
