Sauteed Patty Pan Squash

Sauteed Patty Pan Squash with Thai inspired flavouring

Posh Patty Pan Squash, Thai Inspired

Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free, Egg Free

 

Ok, I’m not saying this is authentic in any way, shape or form.  I squirted and tossed in Thai-ish things willy-nilly and took great liberties with the excess of fresh herbs lounging in the fridge.  I used ginger instead of galangal, and lime juice instead of kaffir lime leaves (the more exotic and hard-to-find Thai flavours), hence the inspired in the title.   However, this is a quick and easy fix for a Thai craving, and a nice twist on traditional squash.  It's tangy and fresh, with a tiny touch of heat from the ginger.  

Last week I shared my experience working with patty pan squash for the first time, along with a recipe for steamed patty pan squash with basil and sweet butter.  Since last week’s experiments, I’ve been fiddling around some more with these sweet little munchkins.  I’ve been craving Thai and Malaysian food quite a bit lately, so I thought I’d see if I couldn’t turn these into something a little funkier than plain old squash standby dishes.  What I came up with kind of reminds me of the swanky Asian fusion restaurants that are so wonderfully common in my hometown of Vancouver, BC.  (For more on this check out my post on Canadian Food 101).  

  

Posh Patty Pan Squash, Thai Inspired

Phew!  Who would have thought there would be so many names for such a little squash.  Patty Pan Squash, pattypan squash, scallopini squash, scallop squash, sunburst squash, white squash, button squash, granny squash, custard marrow, or custard squash, any way you slice 'em, good things come in small packages with these little guys.  It seems you can't go wrong with them, and I've really been trying (stick around, next week I'm going to tell you about my squash ravioli stuffing!). 

Oh, and I forgot to mention last week that not only are these little things adorable, but they pack a mighty nutritional punch for such teeny tiny things.  According to USDA Agriculture Research Service National Agricultural Library, these are high in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, A and folate, so you can enjoy these and last week’s steamed squash guilt free. 

Sauteeing scallopini squash

Ingredients:

1 lb patty pan squash (if you’re getting these at a farmers market that’s about 1 basket worth)*

2 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped

1 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/2 Tbsp chopped mint (or basil)

 Salt and pepper

Directions: 

  

           1. Scrub the patty pan squash with a mushroom brush.  Trim the green tops and bottoms off.  No need to peel them, the skins are edible.  Depending on the size of your patty pans, you may want to leave them whole, slice in half, or slice into 1/4" rounds.  Mine were varied, so some I left whole, others I sliced in half.

            2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the chopped ginger for 1-2 minutes to release the flavour. 

3. Add the pattypan squash and lime juice.  Saute until squash is softened, about 5 minutes.

4. Add half the cilantro and mint (or basil) and cook one more minute. 

             Remove from heat and garnish with the remaining herbs.  Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

What is your favorite squash?  Do you prefer summer or winter squash? 

OAS INFO: Because the squash are sautéed, they should be ok for most people with Oral Allergy Syndrome.  However, they are not processed on high heat so if you are very reactive to squash you may want to bake or boil this for a long period of time to destroy the allergen proteins. 

This post appears on the following great link-ups: Musings of a Housewife, My Meatless Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Just Another Meatless Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Traditional Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Real Food Wednesday, Eat Make Grow, Keep it Real Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursdays, Fresh Bites Fridays, Foodie Fridays,
Freaky Friday, Fight Back Fridays, Gluten Free Fridays,