Lemon Thyme Summer Squash Food

SLOW-COOKED SUMMER SQUASH WITH LEMON AND THYME

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Toss summer squash, garlic, lemon zest, thyme, oil, and salt in a shallow 2-qt. baking dish to combine.
• Turn garlic cut side down, then roast vegetables, tossing 2 or 3 times, until golden brown, very tender, and edges and cut sides are crisp, 1 hour and 40 minutes-1 hour and 50 minutes. Let cool slightly, then add lemon juice and toss to coat.

MARINATED ZUCCHINI AND SUMMER SQUASH

Steps:

• Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the marinade into a small bowl. Cover and set aside. Add the zucchini and yellow squash to the remaining marinade in the large bowl and toss to coat. Transfer the mixture to a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover and marinate at room temperature at least 3 hours or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.
• Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat. Grill the vegetables until they are crisp-tender and brown, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a platter. Drizzle with the reserved marinade and serve hot or at room temperature.

LEMON THYME SUMMER SQUASH

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium heat.
• Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until just turning golden.
• Add squash, lemon and thyme ,reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove cover, increase heat to medium high and cook for 10 minutes, allowing accumulated fluid form the squash to reduce.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve.

SUMMER SQUASH LEMON THYME SOUP

Steps:

• In a 4-quart Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the onions, leek and garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until onions are soft.
• Add the squash and lemon thyme and cook, stirring for 5 minutes.
• Increase to medium high heat; add the chicken broth and salt.
• Cook, partially covered, at a low boil for 20 minutes or until the squash is soft.
• Discard the thyme.
• Puree the soup in batches in a covered blender, then return to the Dutch oven and heat through.
• Add the lemon juice and hot pepper sauce to taste.
• Garnish the soup with shaved Parmesan, pine nuts, thyme sprigs and lemon zest.
• Serve hot.

GRILLED PIZZA WITH YELLOW SQUASH, MOZZARELLA, AND LEMON THYME

Steps:

• In a small bowl stir together garlic and oil and let stand 15 minutes.
• With a mandoline or other manual slicer, slice squash crosswise into 1/16-inch thick rounds, transferring to plate.
• Prepare grill: Open vents in lid and bottom of kettle grill and put 25 briquets on 2 opposite sides of bottom, leaving middle clear. Oil rack and position with wider openings over briquets. Light briquets. (They will be ready for cooking as soon as they turn grayish-white, 20 to 30 minutes.)
• Remove plastic wrap from 2 pieces of rolled-out-pizza dough (if grill is not large, work with 1 piece at a time, keeping remaining piece chilled) and lightly brush dough with some garlic oil. Trying not to stretch dough, carefully transfer it, oiled side down, with your hands to rack of grill. (If it's a very hot day, the dough may get too soft to transfer easily; if so, pop it into the freezer until firm again, about 15 minutes.) Lightly brush top with some garlic oil. When grilling pizzas, rotate them if 1 side of grill is hotter than the other. Grill crusts, covered, until undersides are golden brown on bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip crusts over with 2 metal spatulas and top each crust with half of cheeses, squash, and thyme. Lightly brush pizzas with some garlic oil and grill, covered, about 5 minutes, or until undersides are golden brown and cheeses are melted.
• Garnish pizzas with thyme sprigs and cut into wedges.
• In a large bowl stir together 1/3 cup water, yeast, and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt and blend until mixture forms a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Alternatively, dough may be made in a food processor. Proof yeast as described above. In food processor process yeast mixture with 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt until mixture forms a ball, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, it too dry or more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if too wet, and knead dough by processing 15 seconds more.
• Put dough, prepared by either method, in an oiled deep bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk, and punch down. Form dough into 4 balls. Makes enough dough for four 10-inch thin-crust pizzas.
• Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 ball of dough 1/8 inch thick (about 10 inches in diameter). Brushing off excess flour, transfer dough with your hands to baking sheet and cover surface completely with plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and plastic wrap in same manner, stacking rolled-out pieces on top of one another on baking sheet. Wrap baking sheet with more plastic wrap to ensure that dough is completely covered. (Chill dough until firm, about 1 hour, and up to 4 hours.)