You wait with anticipation for those first few fruits of the summer squash, and then, before you know it, you have more than you can wrangle. It’s just about time to start giving them away, or smuggling them in an unsuspecting visitor’s car, but for right now, enjoy the harvest, and the sharing.
Love the bounty
Luckily, we love summer squash, especially the yellow, crookneck. To keep the population down somewhat, we pick them when on the small side, sometimes even with the blossom still attached. They are tender and sweet, and even delicious raw. However, sometimes the rain stops us from picking every day, or they play a little game and hide under the leaves and before you know it you have a squash the size of a baseball bat. Those are good to grate, freeze, and use in the fall when making sweet breads for the holidays.
Grilling season
It’s grilling season, and just about every time we fire up the Weber, some squash and peppers end up on the grill even if not being served at that meal. Why waste any heat from that charcoal? I call this the season of ease. Just about everything we need is at the farmstands and markets, and most of what we want as well. It’s berry season, tomatoes are coming in, and sweet corn will not be far behind. Then, we’ll have all we want as well. This is what we dream of in the north country when February is at its most brutal.
Easy times
Like so much this time of year, this simple recipe requires little effort and big rewards. I hardly dare call it a recipe, really just a technique. Grilled summer squash is the star of the dish, with radishes serving as the backup singers. I had a lot of both this day, but I could have used many other veggies instead of the radishes: snap peas, onion, baby peppers, even green beans. Some fresh herbs and flowers, and simple but flavorful dressing and we’re all set for a luscious side.
The flavor of sesame
Sesame appears in both the dressing and the seeds atop the finished dish. These also add a bit of a crunch for what is a rather soft dish. You could also top with nuts or other seeds of choice, or some toasted breadcrumbs. Of course, you can use zucchini here, or sliced patty pan squash. Any of these would be perfect, and quick.
Small is sometimes better
If your squash are really small, leave them whole, otherwise, just slice them in half.
Grilled Sesame Summer Squash and Radishes
- Six to eight summer squash, sliced in half lengthwise
- Small bunch of radishes of choice, sliced in half
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp. native honey
- 1 tsp. low-sodium tamari
- Zest of a lemon
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- Toasted sesame seeds to garnish
- Minced parsley or dill or both to garnish
Prepare the squash and radishes and brush lightly with oil. Grill quickly over the indirect side of the grill, it doesn’t take much heat to get these just softened and showing grill marks. Arrange on a platter. That’s it for the cooking.
Mix together the dressing ingredients and whisk well. Drizzle over the vegetables and garnish with the seed and herbs, and a few edible flowers if you have them.
Easy. Now, let’s go do something fun.
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Love a good summer veg recipe!
They are so carefree!
They’re so beautiful! Good grilling!
Thanks Mimi! And the kitchen stays cool.
I do believe I will grill zucchini and crookneck to go with the ribs Randy is smoking on this rainy day! These are so gorgeous!
Thanks Suz! So tasty and they will go beautifully with the ribs. Hope you are keeping cool!
Easy and delicious- they are great recipe ideas. The ‘season of ease,’ sounds plentiful and perfect.
Thank you Amanda! It really is the Season of Ease!
Enjoy it to the fullest!!
Thanks! We just ate a bunch of veggies for dinner with just a few shrimp tossed in for good measure! The best.
Yum. I should have popped in. Lol. I love prawns.
Any time! 🥰
This looks so very delicious! So great, to have such fresh veggies. When it comes to squashes, I believe the smaller – the better. 🙂
Oh yes, but sometimes they are sneaky!
I bought squash at the French market today and am looking forward to having it tonight.
So delicious! Enjoy!
We have been enjoying grilling outside lately–this dish looks perfect!
Thank you! Love just tossing everything on the grill!
Lovely recipe ideas it looks delicious I am wrestling with an abundamce of mangoes in varies stages of ripeness at the moment…
It’s always feast or famine, isn’t it?
It certainly is Dorothy 🙂 x
Hi, Dorothy – These sound and look absolutely divine!
Thank you! They were such a treat!
Such a simple dish that sings of summer, Dorothy! Courgettes and peppers are the stars here as I only grow winter squash but your dressing is perfect for them. I love using edible flowers to decorate, it’s such a wonderful time of year to play with pretty splashes of colour, isn’t it? 😊
Everything is remarkable! I feel like I just landed on Oz when I head out to the garden with my little basket!
I’ve given up growing them because the birds can’t keep the slug and snail population in check.
Well those birds need to step up their game! 🥹
This looks great, also the flowers. With zucchini I usually salt them before to draw out some of the water and enhance the flavor, but I guess because of the sweetness that is less needed with squash? (The sweetness also helps to get grill marks more easily. And I don’t mean grill marks from not cleaning the grate first, LOL)
I usually salt the larger yellow squash, they get even more watery than the zucchini. But these little babies are just right. Right now, I have more than I can keep up with!
Could you grow Japanese eggplant in your garden? They are so sweet sliced and grilled.
Yes, they grow nicely here, however, as much as I love them, I developed an allergy to them about 20 years ago, so they aren’t in my garden plan any longer 😭
The sesame dressing sounds wonderful!
Jenna
Thank you Jenna! We really liked it.
Scrumptious! And such a lovely presentation!
Thank you Nancy! You eat with your eyes first!
I’m very envious of those lovely squash blossoms, do you ever stuff them? Your grilled vegetables look great.
Thank you! Yes, I do stuff them. In fact, that’s one reason I grow the squash!
Gorgeous plating! It looks so delicious!
Thank you Julia! It was really tasty!
What a beautifully plated dish, I love the yellow squash and that dressing sounds wonderful. We are finally getting more vegetables at the farmers market and look forward to trying some new recipes.
Thank you Jan! We loved the dressing on this one.
This is right up my alley, veggie-centric, easy to make and colorful. Thanks for sharing
Thanks! I love a beautiful plate of veggies too!
Looks delicious, love sesame.
Thanks Ally! I love it too, especially on noodles.
Look at that color, all that flavor and beautiful too!
Yes, it’s such a wonderful time of year!
I love this! I never would have thought of pairing summer squash and radishes but it sounds great! 🙂
They really worked together nicely Nancy. A good match.
An absolutely gorgeous dish! And so delicious too!
Thank you Ribana! It’s always welcome on the plate!