They distributed patty pan squash for a couple of weeks at the CSA, and I didn’t know what to do with them.   They have always reminded me of little spaceships, and I have avoided them until this summer.    David Lapham, a personal chef from NYC who volunteers his time at our CSA cooked with them two weeks ago.  This is the dish that he made.   I tried it, and it was so good, I wanted to keep eating it.  I knew that I had to recreate it at home because I had a big bag of patty pan squash in my hands and I didn’t know what else to do with them.

I love summertime cooking.  You can do so much with fresh ingredients, with very little preparation.  The thing that takes the longest is chopping the fresh herbs and vegetables, but the resulting explosions of flavor makes the time spent chopping well worth it.

Roasted Patty Pan Squash with Herbed White Beans
Recipe inspired by Chef David Lapham

2 cans of small white beans,  rinsed and drained
6 small patty pan squash
Extra virgin olive oil
12 chives, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
8 mint leaves, finely chopped
Zest from one lemon
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven 400°F.   Cut the tops and bottoms off the patty pan squash and discard.  Then cut the remaining squash into four or six segments.   Toss the squash with enough olive oil to coat them well.  Place them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or in a baking dish.   Sprinkle generously with kosher salt.  Roast the squash for 30 minutes, until cooked through and browned in places.  Toss once during cooking.

While the  squash is roasting, combine the herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, black pepper (to taste), salt and a drizzle of olive oil in a bowl and mix well. Toss the drained white beans with the herb dressing in a salad bowl, and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When the patty pan squash has cooled, arrange the segments on each plate, and top with the dressed beans.  This allows for a pretty presentation.  Alternatively, you can toss everything together in a salad bowl and serve.

Yield:  4 appetizer servings

One year ago: Chickpea, Carrot and Parsley Salad in Homemade Pita Bread
Two years ago: Grilled Chicken with Basil Dressing
Three years ago: Tomato Pie
Four years ago: Asian Style Three Bean Salad