By Anna Nelson – There’s a moment every July where you look at your kitchen counter and realize zucchini has won. It’s on the counter. It’s in the fridge drawer. There might be one hiding behind the coffee maker. You didn’t buy this much. Somebody gave it to you, or it just kept growing, or your neighbor left a paper bag on your porch with a note that just says “enjoy!” and no return address.
This is the great zucchini surplus, and it happens every single year. Ask around and you’ll hear the same stories. People leaving zucchini on porches at night like it’s contraband. Coworkers sneaking one into a bag before their car door shuts. There’s an old joke that the only time to lock your car doors in summer is so nobody sneaks a zucchini into your back seat. It’s funny because it’s true. This plant does not know when to stop.
Here’s the thing though. All that abundance is kind of the whole point. Zucchini and summer squash grow fast and grow generously because that’s exactly what they’re built for. A single healthy plant can produce for weeks straight, which is great news if you actually know what to do with it, and a little overwhelming if you don’t. So let’s talk about both. Why this is such a good stretch for squash, and what to actually do with the pile sitting on your counter right now.
Right Now Is the Sweet Spot
Summer squash, the soft skinned kind you eat skin and all, hits its stride in the thick of summer heat. Around here that means farms like Valley Flora are pulling zucchini steadily through July and August, right alongside their tomatoes, eggplant, and corn. It’s one of those crops that just keeps coming once it gets going, which is why you’ll see it show up again and again if you’re ordering from OtterBee’s this time of year.
The good stuff is firm, not soft or spongy, with skin that’s glossy rather than dull. Smaller squash, especially the ones under eight inches or so, tend to have fewer seeds and a sweeter, more tender bite. The bigger ones aren’t bad, they just want a different job. Save those for shredding into breads or grating into a big pot of sauce where size doesn’t matter as much.
There’s something nice about a vegetable that doesn’t ask much of you. Zucchini doesn’t need peeling. It doesn’t need much seasoning to taste good. Slice it, toss it in a hot pan with olive oil and garlic, and in five minutes you’ve got a side dish. It’s the kind of ingredient that rewards a full fridge more than a fancy one.
What To Actually Do With All of It
Grilling is probably the easiest win. Slice zucchini or yellow squash lengthwise into planks, brush with olive oil, salt them, and lay them right on the grill grates. A few minutes a side gets you soft centers and good char marks, and it goes with basically anything else coming off the grill that night, whether that’s Oat Hill beef or a piece of fish from Fishermen’s Direct.
If you want something a little more filling, try grating zucchini into a savory quick bread. This zucchini cheddar cheese herb beer bread from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch is a good one to have in your back pocket this time of year. It mixes together fast, no mixer needed, and it’s the kind of thing that makes the whole kitchen smell good while it bakes. Sharp cheddar, fresh chives, and a good beer in the batter give it a deep, savory flavor that pairs nicely with a bowl of soup once the evenings start to cool. Worth noting from the folks who’ve made it a few times: squeeze out as much water from the grated zucchini as you can first, or you’ll end up with a denser, wetter loaf than you want.
Zucchini also freezes well if you shred it first. Just measure it into bags in one or two cup portions and toss it in the freezer. Come January, when nothing green is growing anywhere near here, you’ll be glad you have it tucked away for soups, breads, or a quick sauce.
And if you’re staring down a real pile, don’t be afraid to go simple. A big sheet pan of zucchini, yellow squash, and whatever else needs using up, roasted hot until the edges catch some color, salted well, is dinner. Add a fried egg on top and it’s breakfast too.
Beyond the Basics
Zucchini gets most of the attention, but the wider summer squash family has some options worth trying if you haven’t already. Patty pan squash, the little scalloped disc shaped ones, hold their shape nicely when roasted whole or halved, and they’ve got a slightly nuttier flavor than plain zucchini. Cut them in half, hollow out a little of the center, and stuff them with rice, herbs, and a little cheese for something that looks a lot fancier than the effort it actually takes.
Crookneck squash, the yellow curved one with the bumpy skin, is great sautéed with onions and a little butter until it goes soft and almost sweet. It’s a Southern staple for a reason. And if you’ve never tried raw zucchini ribbons, it’s worth a shot. Run a vegetable peeler down the length of a squash to get long, thin strips, then toss them with lemon juice, olive oil, parmesan, and a little salt. No cooking required, and it makes a salad feel a lot more interesting than another bowl of greens.
Zucchini noodles, often called zoodles, have their fans too. A spiralizer turns squash into a pasta stand-in that holds sauce well, especially something light like a fresh tomato and basil sauce while tomatoes are still coming in strong from local fields.
The bigger idea here is that summer squash isn’t just a filler vegetable. It’s flexible enough to be breakfast, dinner, a snack, or even dessert if you count zucchini bread with a little sugar in the mix. That flexibility is exactly why it’s worth embracing the overflow instead of dreading it. Order a little extra from OtterBee’s this week. Grill some, bake some into bread, freeze a bag or two for winter. And if a neighbor leaves one on your porch, take it as the compliment it’s meant to be. Summer’s given us a lot to work with. Might as well use it.
Anna Nelson is a writer and editor based in Smith River, CA. She writes about local food and seasonal shifts and is a proud OtterBee’s shopper and contributing author to the OtterBee’s Market blog.
