Summer Shows its Colors in Creative Cuisine

Colorful dishes mean more antioxidants. For that reason, whenever I make a salad or any dish involving a lot of vegetables, I try to include as many colors as possible. Summer is one of the best times for diverse, colorful cuisine because there are so many varieties of fruits and vegetables available at local farmers’ markets. This past Saturday while browsing produce at a nearby stand, a farmer showed me a vegetable I had never seen before – round, vibrantly colored, and surrounded by a thick gourd, I was immediately intrigued by it. The farmer informed me that it was a type of squash. Upon investigating further online, I learned that this type of plant is known as Summer Squash, and it hits its peak in May-August. It is available in green, white, or yellow. I decided to experiment with it while cooking a lunch for my family this weekend, and the results were delicious. The meal I made consisted of an Italian pomodoro-type spaghetti accented with crostini on the side. It was light and seemed perfect for highlighting summer’s herb and veggie flavors. Here’s the recipe:

Summer Squash Pomodoro

3/4 lb thin whole-wheat spaghetti

1 can diced tomatoes

1 yellow summer squash

7-8 fresh basil leaves

about 1/2 cup fresh oregano, chopped

1 small onion

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

sea salt, red pepper flakes & black                                                                                                     pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese to taste

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. While waiting for it to boil, dice the yellow squash into small pieces. (Note that although I used yellow, any variety will do). Salt and pepper it lightly, and set aside. Mince onion and garlic. Heat olive oil on high in a large wok, and when it is hot, add onion/garlic and saute for approximately 2 minutes. Add spaghetti to boiling pot of water. Add squash to wok and saute until soft, approximately 7 minutes. Once soft, add the canned tomatoes (use fresh tomatoes for added health, but remember to add a sweetener to balance their acidity). Then, add the fresh basil and oregano, then the vinegar and some red pepper flakes. Cook for another 2 minutes. Drain the spaghetti, drizzle with olive oil and dish it out onto plates. Top with the mixture from the wok and some parmesan cheese, and serve hot.

Rosemary & Goat Cheese Crostini

1/2 baguette (day old is great because it’s a good way to still enjoy it)

goat cheese

fresh rosemary

red pepper flakes

dried parsley

garlic salt

butter or non-dairy spread (I like Earth Balance)

Cut baguette into very thin slices. Place on a tray and toast in the toaster oven on one side about one minute on 250-300 degrees. Butter the untoasted side, and then put them back in the oven for another minute. Be careful not to burn them. Remove them from the oven and add a dollop of goat cheese. Sprinkle with parsley, red pepper flakes, and garlic salt. Top each crostini with a sprig of rosemary. Place back in the oven for another couple minutes, until crispy. Enjoy!

I used to really hate goat cheese. My college roommate, a cheese connoisseur, told me to just wait until I had really good goat cheese. Turns out, she was right. Last week, Whole Foods market generously gave away a ton of free products to their Facebook Fans as a kind of customer appreciation day. One of the items they gave was goat cheese. I’m used to things being of high quality from them, so I decided to give goat cheese one more try. I’m glad I did. It’s creamy, and combines so well with fresh herbs like rosemary.

But that’s the great thing about cooking: every experience is different. Flavors change depending on your mood, what’s available to you, and even the weather. Cooking is a creative learning experience. For me, it’s like a meditation because I concentrate on chopping vegetables and herbs and combining spices. It’s relaxing and doesn’t allow for any outside noise (mental or physical) because you’re so focused on the flavors and smells and even textures of the food. That’s why I don’t like to think of recipes as strict guidelines – rather, they are inspiration for creativity.

Use what is available to you when you cook. I love to cook with local produce because it’s fresher, healthier, and better for the environment. Even better, I love to cook with the herbs from my own garden.

Besides being about local and fresh ingredients,  food should also be about giving comfort and showing your love to other people. Recipes can be individualized to the needs of your family and friends. My family loves garlic, so we cook with it a lot, but if your family doesn’t enjoy its strong flavor, try just using 1 or 2 cloves in the pasta recipe above. Some people don’t like onions. (My boyfriend can attest to this, as he often accuses me of tainting his food with onion poisoning.) But there are always ways of making the flavors of what you cook suit the needs of everyone in your house.

There are four things I love about being in the kitchen: cooking in season and local, cooking for the people I love, and cook to release my creativity, and finally – to feel relaxed. I love summer for all of those reasons.