Summer Squash With Charred Eggplant Puree
August 19, 2021
Pine Flower Vinaigrette
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
- Mix the vinegar, salt, and honey until dissolved.
- Whisk in the olive oil until loosely emulsified.
Squash
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 zephyr or crooked neck squash
2-3 tbsp pine flower vinaigrette (see above)
salt
prepared ice bath
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil.
- Cut the squash into long thin strips on a mandolin roughly 1/16 inch thick.
- Blanch the squash strips briefly and in small batches, 20-30seconds.
- Quickly place into the ice bath to stop the cooking.
- Remove squash from ice bath, pat dry, and reserve.
Charred Eggplant Puree
2 large Italian eggplants
2 leeks
1 Vidalia onion
1 large tomato, peeled
1 jalapeno
1 green bell pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp butter
1 cup vegetable stock.
salt
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
- Remove the skin from the eggplant with a peeler.
- Bake the eggplant skins until cooked through.
- Set the oven to broil and char the skin until blackened but not burnt through; should come out crispy. Set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, sweat out the leeks, onion, jalapeño, bell pepper, and garlic. Remove and set aside.
- Take the flesh of the eggplant, add salt, cut into large chunks, and sear thoroughly on all sides.
- Deglaze with the vegetable stock, and reincorporate the cooked vegetables, tomato paste, and peeled tomatoes.
- Cook thoroughly until everything is falling apart.
- Add the cooked vegetables, vinegar, and charred eggplant skin together in blender and blend into a smooth puree.
- Incorporate the butter and season with salt.
- Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve.
Plating
young rosemary leaves
oregano leaves
sage leaves and flowers
lemon verbena (lemon basil will also work here)
thyme leaves
celery curls
jalapeño, sliced
cherry tomatoes
- Lay the strips of zucchini and squash on top of one another with the edges lined up and cut long strips above the seeds.
- Separate and brush strips with the vinaigrette.
- Alternating between zucchini and squash, layer on top of one another and roll into a pinwheel shape.
- Place the pinwheel onto a plate and spread a line of the puree.
- Garnish with the herbs, tomatoes, celery curls, and jalapeño.
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