This Seared Summer Squash Will Complete Your Picnic Table

“I can’t get enough of all the fresh produce available during summertime,” culinary creator Carolina Gelen tells Katie Couric Media. As an expression of her enthusiasm, Gelen takes the opportunity to celebrate summer squash in her cookbook, Pass The Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes. Her simple, seared squash recipe is a subtle yet mouthwatering take on the bountiful gourds you’ll find piled on every farmers market stand during the hotter months.

Gelen’s approach is to let the squash speak for itself — she uses just salt and garlic for minimal seasoning, plus a handful of mint to finish things off. She primarily focuses on deeply charring the veggies to achieve a smoky flavor. She then adds steamed lemons to the final product to balance out the depth of the squash with some sunny brightness. In other words, this is the perfect warm-weather side dish — though if you decide to treat it as an entree, more power to you.

Seared Summer Squash Recipe

Serves 4 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium Meyer or regular lemons, thinly sliced
• 2 pounds small to medium summer squash, such as zucchini, yellow summer squash, lemon squash
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin 
• olive oil, plus more as needed
• Kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• ¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves, torn
• Flaky salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Pile the lemons in the center of a 9 × 12-inch sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Lift two sides up to meet in the middle and fold them down to make a packet and tuck the two ends underneath. Set the pocket on a baking sheet.
3. Bake until the lemons steam and are super soft and melty, about 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, trim the ends off the squash and cut each squash in half lengthwise. Set the squash on a large baking sheet and drizzle with the ¼ cup of oil. Season with a big pinch of kosher salt and toss to coat.
5. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Working in batches, place the squash cut-side down in the skillet, weighting it down using a grill press or another skillet. Sear until charred on the bottom and tender inside, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the squash and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the other side. Feel free to add a teaspoon of oil or so as needed if the pan seems dry or if the squash are sticking and adjust the heat accordingly. Transfer the charred squash to a serving platter.
6. Carefully open the lemon packet and add the steamed lemons to the squash.
7. In a small bowl, combine the garlic and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and drizzle on top of the squash. Toss the mint leaves all over the platter and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve warm.

Note: It’s not in the ingredient list, but if you’re feeling frisky, finish off the seared squash with a light drizzle of floral honey to complement all that smokiness and char.

Reprinted with permission from Pass The Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes: A Cookbook, by Carolina Gelen. Copyright © 2024 by Gelen Media LLC. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Nico Schinco. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.