Writing this one down because I've been eating it a lot as the summer squash comes into season. I love grilled veggies of all types, but squash and eggplant are two of my favorites. Last week just to cut down on the volume in veggies in my fridge (I really shouldn't get the full share CSA but always do b/c FOMO with just a half share) I decided to grill the the zucchinni and summer squash that I had. It's very simple, just take your squash, wash and dry it, take off the top and tail and slice into about 3/8" planks. I do this crosswise for zucchinni (especially the big fat ones) and lengthwise for yellow squash but you do what you like. Drop the slices in a bowl or a zip-top bag, add some olive oil (a few tsp, you just want to lightly coat them) and salt and pepper. Toss in the bowl or moosh around in the bag (I like the bag) so everything is coated. Grill on high heat, about 3 min per side, until you get nice grill marks and the squash is tender.
Pro-tip: don't do what I did with the second batch and go inside and start another recipe and forget the squash was on the grill until it was charcoal.
I thought I took more pics of this but apparently not. Of course a great way to eat this squash is off the plate with your hands or as a side dish. It's also good tossed with a little olive oil, garlic and balsamic vinegar. But as I was pulling last of the unburnt squash off of the grill, I had an inspiration to try it in a grill cheese sandwich.
Grilled Zuchinni/Summer Squash sandwich:
Ingredients
- Two slices bread (I used 2 slices of Band of Bakers Pane de Casa - 2 ounces of any nice bread will do)
- 1-2 tsp chimichurri or pesto (or something else vinagary/herby)
- grilled squash (eggplant would be good here too)
- 1-2 ounces shredded gruyere or swiss cheese (or whatever melty cheese you like)
- olive oil (brush or spray)
- 1-2 slices of proscuitto, cut into ribbons (optional)
Instructions
Spray or brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil. Spread chimichurri on the non-oiled side of one of the slices. Shingle slices of grilled squash over the chimichurri (they can overlap a bit, but I just use one layer). Spread proscuito (if using) over the squash. Distribute the shredded cheese evenly over the squash, top with the other slice of break (oiled side up). Grill or cook in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat until the cheese is melted and the bread is nicely browned.
I took almost no pics, which is unfortunate. My first effort I made on the grill since it was already hot from grilling the zucchinni/squash. It was a bit warm so I burned the bread a little. The second and 3rd attempts were in a non-stick frying pan, and I heated it up on medium low since the grilled squash was just out of the fridge and I wanted to heat that up before the bread burned.
A little chimichurri spread:
Sandwich off of the grill with cooked zuchinni/squash in background:
