Top 13 Ways to Make Great Use of a Huge Harvest
Add It to a Stir-Fry:Slice thin rounds of yellow squash or zucchini and throw them into a skillet with protein and other veggies. Squash and zucchini add color, flavor, and texture to your favorite stir-fry.
Cut It into Zoodles:Ditch the high-carb count of pasta and use a spiralizer to shred your squash into “zoodles.” Ladled with marinara or bolognese sauce and sprinkled with parmesan, zoodles offer a nutritious, slightly crunchy substitute for spaghetti.
Fry It:I remember the overwhelming disappointment I felt as a kid at school when I bit into what I thought was a tater tot only to discover the cafeteria manager had served us fried veggie tots instead!
Freeze It:Freezing yellow squash and zucchini takes a little time, but it’s worth the effort when craving garden goodness while the snow’s on the ground.
Pickle It:The idea of pickling is related to the reasoning behind freezing squash. Do something with your squash now and save it for later.
Grill It:The smoke and char of grill cooking give a unique dimension of flavor to squash and zucchini. Add slices to kebabs of your favorite protein and veggies.
Turn It Into Bread:The same goes for zucchini bread and muffins. Sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate chips, and other baking staples all camouflage whatever “vegetable earthiness” your zucchini may bring to the bread.
Donate It:Take all your extra veggies to a local food pantry that accepts fresh produce. You can find eligible donation locations in your area at AmpleHarvest.org.
Toss It into a Salad:Eating summer squash and zucchini raw is not my go-to preparation method for yellow and green veggies. But it’s perfectly safe and healthy to eat them uncooked.
Make Dessert:Cookies, cake, brownies — yep! You can make all of them from zucchini. Bonus points: no one is the wiser unless you tell them what they’re eating.
Make a Soup with It:When you think of making soup with squash, you probably first picture butternut squash soup (which is delicious). But did you realize that summer squash can also make tasty and satisfying soups, too?
Roast It: Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them into a thin layer on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until browned.
Mix It into a Casserole: Bits of yellow squash are mixed with onion into a hot and buttery bake with just the right balance of salt and pepper.