Summer Squash with Green Tea

“Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow? …”

Well mine is growing quite abundantly!  If you’re like me you’re swimming right about now in yellow squash and zucchini.  And you may be searching recipes for some fun, new ways to cook them.   And broccoli, onions, herbs…..  If your pantry, like mine, also has a lot of Simpson & Vail tea in it – why not have some creative kitchen fun?

Last night was pesto pizza, 2 nights ago was this sauteed Summer Squash with rice (see recipe below).  Tonight will be Summer Vegetable Soup, which is in the crockpot right now.

Summer Squash, Basil and Green Tea

Sauce:

4 Tbsp butter
2 tsp green tea (I used Organic Vietnam Green)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp capers (or more ’cause capers are so yummy!)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, remove from heat, add the tea and steep for 30 minutes, covered.  (While this is steeping you can prepare the vegetables and rice – see below.  Then finish the sauce right before serving.) Strain out the tea leaves aand return tea-butter to the saucepan.

Return the saucepan to the stove and put on low heat.  Add the lemon juice and capers until warm then add the parsley.  Stir and pour over the veggies.

 Vegetables:

2 Tbsp fresh basil
1 Tbsp Olive oil (or use 2 frozen cubes of basil/oil if you have it!)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped green onion tops
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 cups yellow squash, chopped small
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped small
1/4 tsp salt, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Place the basil and oil in a saucepan on medium heat.  Add the garlic, onion tops and onions and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the broccoli and cook for 1 minute.  Add the squash, cover and simmer for 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt.

Rice:

1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp green tea
3/4 cups white rice

Heat the water to just under boiling.  Remove from the heat, add the tea leaves and steep for 3 minutes.  Strain out the leaves, bring to a boil. Add the rice and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Spoon veggies over the rice and drizzle with the sauce.  Sprinkle it all with Parmesan cheese.  And voila – you’ve used a couple of squashes from your garden.  Until tomorrow…..when more squash will appear!