Using Your Squash Glut

If you have a garden, you are likely drowning in a sea of zucchini and summer squash. As is my usual habit, I assumed that two out of three of the plants I put in would die. As sometimes happens, all my plants did great. I am now drowning in a sea of Italian squash.

I have some great zucchini recipes but am always looking for new ones. This recipe is from Alice Waters' new cookbook, The Art of Simple Food. Her recipes tend be simple-why-didn't-I-think-of-that-type recipes. Since I "didn't think of that" I'm thrilled to have her helping me out in my kitchen.

I served this with a green salad and toasts topped with black olive tapenade. This recipe is adapted slightly from Alice's. The ingredient list looks long, but the soup comes together quickly. If you don't have all the spices, substitute one tablespoon of curry powder and add cayenne if you need it for heat.

Spicy Summer Squash Soup
4-6 Alice Waters-sized servings, 3-4 Sunday Cook-sized servings

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
  
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 4 garlic cloves
• 5 medium summer squash, sliced into coins
  
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste
  

For the minted yogurt:

• handful of mint leaves, chopped fine
• 3/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
• salt and pepper to taste
  

In a large saucepan, saute the onion, spices, and garlic until the onion is softened, about 5-10 minutes. Add the squash and saute for a few more minutes. Add the broth and water and simmer until the squash is tender. In a blender, puree the soup until it is very smooth (you want the whole spices ground fine - I spun mine in three batches for about one-two minutes per batch). Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir together the mint and yogurt and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup with a dollop of yogurt. We ate this soup hot, but I think it would be very good cold as well.