Summer Vegetable Lasagna with Tomato-Pesto Sauce

Summer's harvest is starting to show up in our CSA box around now in Northern California and we just received our first summer squash as well as a huge bunch of basil this past week, along with some rainbow chard. One of my favorite things to do with the first vegetables of each season is make a new variation of my lasagna recipe. This time, since I had such a large amount of basil and I know that the flavors of pesto go so well with summer squash (try simply grilling it and topping it with some pesto for a side dish in the future), I thought I'd create a combination tomato-pesto sauce to work into the lasagna and really complement the vegetables. Lasagna is a dish that has a lot of individual components, but none of them are difficult. It's a great thing to make on a weekend night when you want to cook in - we always make a whole pan for the two of us and eat the leftovers for dinner the next night (this reheats really well).

Summer Vegetable Lasagna with Tomato-Pesto Sauce
Serves 4-6

Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

~1lb. summer squash (such as yellow crookneck), diced
1 bunch rainbow or swiss chard, leaves ripped from stems and chopped
~1 lb. white mushrooms, diced
Whole wheat, brown rice, or regular dried lasagna noodles
1 15 oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
2 eggs
3/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 c. packed basil leaves
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Figure out how many lasagna noodles you will need to create three layers of noodles in your baking dish (approximately 13x9) and set the baking dish aside. In a similar size Pyrex or other dish, lay the noodles inside, then fill with the hottest tap water that you can get (or near-boiling water from a tea kettle) and add a dash of olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking. This is my shortcut to boiling noodles for lasagna - they soften while you prepare the other ingredients.

Chop up the summer squash and mushrooms and heat a large skillet over medium heat with a drizzle (1-2t) of olive oil. When the skillet is ready (you'll know once the oil moves easily across the pan when you tip it), add the summer squash and a pinch of salt. Saute for about 5 minutes or until softened, then set aside in a bowl. Add some more olive oil to the pan, then add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Saute for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, and meanwhile prepare the chard. When the mushrooms are done, set aside in another bowl, then add a little more olive oil to the pan and cook the chard with a pinch of salt, stirring rather frequently, for about 3 minutes until wilted slightly, then set aside in another bowl. Notice that I season each component separately so that the entire dish is seasoned.

Next, prepare the pesto by placing the 2 c. packed basil leaves, minced garlic clove, and pine nuts in a food processor. Start the processor, then slowly add in the olive oil until the mixture starts to come together but isn't too oily - about 1/3 c. Scoop out of the food processor into a small bowl and stir in 1/2 t. kosher salt and 1/4 t. pepper (or a few generous grinds from a pepper grinder). I don't add cheese to this pesto since there is enough in the rest of the dish.

In a medium-sized bowl, add the crushed tomatoes, 1/2 c. of the pesto, and 1 t. kosher salt to make the sauce.

Grate the parmesan cheese. In another medium sized bowl, add the ricotta, eggs, 1/2 t. salt, and 1/4 c. of the parmesan cheese and stir until blended.

Now it's time to assemble. Add about 1/2 c. of the sauce to the bottom of the pan and smear to create a light coating (so the noodles won't stick to the bottom). Lay down a layer (1/3) of the noodles, then approximately 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. I find that using my hands in lasagna, while messy, is best to distribute the components, so spread the ricotta out with your fingers. Then, top with approximately 1/2 of the squash, 1/2 of the mushrooms, and 1/2 of the chard (also using your fingers). Top with about 3/4c. of the sauce (the sauce doesn't need to be in exactly an even layer as it will cook together). Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining 1/2 of the ricotta, 1/2 of the squash, 1/2 of the mushrooms, 1/2 of the chard, and another 3/4 c. sauce. Top with the final layer of noodles, then the remainder of the sauce. I try to more carefully spread out the sauce on this final layer as you ideally want the noodles to be coated so they don't dry out in the cooking process. Then, top with the mozzarella cheese, and finally, the remaining 1/2 c. of parmesan cheese. The great thing about making lasagna this way is since you've already pre-cooked many of the ingredients, you just have to pop it in the oven for 30 minutes. It should have a nice golden brown crust when you remove it and it's important to let it sit for a few minutes before serving so that the lasagna stays together. Enjoy!

Green Enchiladas

Enchiladas are becoming one of my favorite thing to make when we're in the mood for Mexican food, and they actually can be healthy when you pack them with fresh vegetables and don't go overboard on the cheese. They are a little bit time consuming, but I attempted to cut down on the prep time here by making a green tomatillo and cilantro sauce that whips us easily in the blender. Like lasagna, enchiladas are something where you can vary the ingredients depending on the season to take advantage of what is fresh (see my prior post for enchiladas with yams in the fall/winter). For this recipe, I made one big batch (since you're already doing the work) and divided the enchiladas into one pan with 8 and another one with 4. You can either cook them all at once or pop one of the pans in the freezer for the future - just put it in the fridge the night before you want to make it to allow it to unthaw and cook per the same instructions the following night.

Green Enchiladas
Serves 6 (2 enchiladas each)

Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

1 lb. roma tomatoes, diced
1 lb. yellow summer squash, halved and cut into thin half moons
Two 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 yellow onions, peeled, halved, with one onion thinly sliced and one cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 lb. tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and quartered
2 serrano peppers (for medium spiciness, or use only 1 for mild), with stems cut off
2 c. cilantro, chopped
1 c. low sodium vegetable broth
4 oz. queso fresco cheese, crumbled
6 oz. monterey jack cheese, grated
12 whole wheat tortillas (about 8'' in diameter)
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Avocado, sliced, for garnish

Prep all of the vegetables, rinse/drain the beans, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and 1 T. olive oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Put the whole tomatillos, garlic cloves, onion chunks, and serrano peppers in the skillet on high heat. Cook 3 minutes, making sure that they get some color, then turn and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a blender.  Meanwhile, in the other skillet, add the squash and sliced onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook about 8-10 minutes until softened, then transfer to a large bowl.

In the blender with the tomatillos, peppers, and onion, add 1 c. of the cilantro, 1 c. of vegetable broth, and 1/2 t. kosher salt. Blend until smooth.

In the bowl with the squash and onions, add the beans, tomatoes, the other cup of chopped cilantro, the queso fresco cheese, 1 1/2 t. kosher salt and 1/2 t. black pepper. Stir to combine.

Add 1/2 c. of the green enchilada sauce from the blender to a 9x13'' baking pan and 1/4 c. of the sauce to an 8x8'' baking pan. Heat the tortillas in the microwave between two pieces of dampened paper towel for about 45 seconds - 1 minute to soften.

Get everything together in one area (tortillas, sauce, bowl of filling, and pans) to assemble the enchiladas.  To do this, take one tortilla at a time, put it on a plate, scoop a generous amount of filling along the middle, then roll it up and place it seam-side down into the pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, putting 8 in the 9x13'' pan and 4 in the 8x8'' pan. Then, top with the remaining enchilada sauce, using your fingers to help you spread the sauce, trying to moisten each enchilada (and keep it from drying out too much during cooking). Top with the monterey jack cheese. From here you can either bake all of the enchiladas at once, or freeze either the smaller or larger pan if you'd like.

Bake for about 35 minutes until the cheese starts to turn golden brown. Let sit for a couple of minutes before serving, then divide onto serving plates and top with sliced avocado.

Fingerling Potato & Summer Squash Gratin

There is still an abundance of summer squash (at least down here in California) as we're experiencing the last part of all of the wonderful summer produce. Tomatoes and summer squash tend to do exceptionally well late in the season, when they've had a chance to ripen with some warmer temperatures. I attempted to take advantage of the summer squash here in a rustic gratin with some fingerling potatoes, fresh herbs, and a little bit of cheese. Serve with a salad and some bread and you have a delicious late summer/early fall meal.

Fingerling Potato & Summer Squash Gratin
Serves 4

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 lb. fingerling potatoes
1 1/4 lb. assorted summer squash, thinly sliced
1 t. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 t. fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. lowfat or whole milk
1/2 c. gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the potatoes in a pot with water covering to 1'' above the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil, then uncover and let cook 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile slice the squash and heat 1 T. olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the squash and saute for about 5 minutes or until slightly softened.

Slice the potatoes into thirds lengthwise and combine with the squash in a large bowl. Add 1 T. olive oil, 1 1/2 t. kosher salt, 1/2 t. black pepper, and the rosemary and thyme and stir to coat.

Coat an 8x8 inch baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray and add 1/2 of the potato/squash mixture to the pan, pressing down with your fingers. Then add the goat cheese and top with the other half of the potato/squash mixture, pressing down again with your fingers. Drizzle the milk over the whole thing, then top with the gruyere and parmesan cheeses.

Bake for 30 minutes covered with foil, then uncover, return to the oven, increase the temperature to 425, and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown.

Summer Squash Pasta with Arugula, Hazelnuts, and Breadcrumbs

When I'm at the farmer's market - especially in the summer when so much product is at its peak - I tend to go a little overboard and buy large quantities of anything that looks good. Case in point, the 6 summer squash that I picked up this past week. Summer squash is so plentiful (and cheap) right now and in so many fun, different varieties and colors. While they are wonderful simply sauteed with a little olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper, I had some arugula on hand as well and thought I'd make a light pasta with all of these ingredients. I've been drawn to pastas at restaurants with breadcrumbs lately - they add such a nice texture and provide for a different "sauce" than pesto or tomatoes. But rather than simply breadcrumbs I decided to add hazelnuts in with the breadcrumbs as well to add a little extra flavor as well as nutritional value. The result: a light, healthy, delicious pasta which highlights the best of some of the great summer produce available now. Note that this recipe is vegan without the parmesan cheese.

Summer Squash Pasta with Arugula, Hazelnuts, and Breadcrumbs
Serves 4

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

1 slice whole wheat bread, roughly torn
1 c. hazelnuts
Extra virgin olive oil
1 to 1 1/4 lb. assorted summer squash or zucchini, halved lenthwise and cut into thin "half moons"
12 oz. linguini or spaghetti
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
6 c. arugula, chopped
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan, for serving

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, put the hazelnuts in a food processor and process until they resemble coarse bread crumbs. Add the bread and process together until the hazelnut crumbs and breadcrumbs are similar in size. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and toast the hazelnut-breadcrumb mixture until fragrant and starting to turn light brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the summer squash, a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute, stirring occassionally, until softened, about 7-10 minutes.

Drain the pasta, and return the empty pasta pot to the burner over low heat. Add 1/4 c. olive oil to the pot and the garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 15-30 seconds, then squeeze in the lemon juice. Add the pasta back to the pot as well as1 t. kosher salt and stir to combine. Then, add in the breadcrumbs, squash, and arugula and stir for a minute or two until the arugula wilts slightly and everything combines. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if you'd like.