Much to my delight, young summer squash are now popping up in gardens, farmers markets, and roadside stands across Ontario. Crooknecks, cocozelles, black beauties, sun drops and butter blossoms to name a few. But my favorite, just by virtue of its spaceship-shape alone, is the patty pan.
However mother nature came up with such a kooky-looking veggie is beyond me, but inside its eccentric exterior is a soft, tender flesh that is deliciously mild and happily familiar.
I pulled this meal together from several different places in my back country meanderings. I picked the kale from a friend’s garden, squash from a farm stand, peas and garlic from the market – a journey in a meal I’d like to say. Eating in the summer and having some kind of connection or memory tied to the ingredients in a dish brings me more pleasure than almost anything else. I love looking down a plate full of stories.
Patty Pans from Never Never Land
For a long time, I called patty pan squash Peter pans. I was also six. I can’t recall if this was a sneaky way for my parents to entice me into eating one of the peculiar-looking vegetables or just my own imagination, but either way, I was more interested in playing with them than eating them. They made seriously great UFOs and hats for stuffed animals in a pinch.
Aside from their endless source of non-edible entertainment value, summer squash is also an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C, and a very good source of magnesium, vitamin A (notably through its concentration of carotenoids, including beta-carotene). They contain good amounts of fiber, potassium, folate, copper, riboflavin, and phosphorus too.
Many of these nutrients have been shown in studies to be helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Summer squash’s magnesium has been shown to be helpful for reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Together with the potassium in summer squash, magnesium is also helpful for reducing high blood pressure. The vitamin C and beta-carotene found in summer squash can help to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Since oxidized cholesterol is the type that builds up in blood vessel walls, these nutrients may help to reduce the progression of atherosclerosis.
These stuffed summer squash are an elegant start to any meal, or eat a couple with a side of greens for a complete dinner. The filling is absolutely delicious and could easily make a meal of itself without even going near the inside of a patty pan. Try it on its own if you so desire – it’s tasty hold or cold. The caraway seeds, although a last-minute addition, were the most amazing part of the dish. I haven’t cooked with them very often as I mostly add them to crackers and breads, but it was such a surprising hit of flavour that complimented the delicate vegetables very well.
The feta cheese is a totally optional ingredient, but one I would recommend to those that eat goat and sheep diary. The saltiness balances out the sweet cooked onions and bright pop of peas.
If you can’t get your hands on patty pans, any summer squash will do. Zucchini is always available, so in that case, slice the squash length-wise, scoop out most of the flesh in the center to make a boat in both halves, fill them with the vegetable mixture, and place the halves back together again. Perfect!
Summer Stuffed Patty Pans
Serves 3 as a main dish, 6 as an appetizer
Ingredients:
6 small patty pan squash
knob of coconut oil or ghee
1 medium red onion
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
1 cup shelled green peas
2 cups chopped kale
1 cup cooked quinoa (or other whole grain)
½ cup crumbled goat or sheep feta (optional)
sea salt & pepper
Directions:
1. Cut around the stem of the patty pans to create a lid. Next, scoop out the inside flesh, leaving a ½” rim around the top to hold the lid in place. Reserve the flesh and roughly chop, set aside. Rub the inside and outside of each squash with a little olive oil, coconut oil or ghee (to prevent drying out in the oven). If you cannot get the squash to sit evenly, slice off a little of the bottom to create a flat surface (be careful not to cut too deeply and create a hole in the bottom.
2. Heat a knob of coconut oil or ghee in a large skillet. Add the onion and a few pinches of salt, cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and caraway seeds, and cook for another couple minutes. Next add the peas and squash, then the kale a minute later, folding occasionally until the kale is slightly wilted. Remove from heat, stir in the cooked quinoa and crumbled feta. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Fill each patty pan with the vegetable mixture and place the individual lid on top of each squash. Arrange the patty pans in a baking dish with a little water in the bottom. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the squash is soft and cooked through.
4. Serve with any leftover filling, and a drizzle of good quality olive oil. Enjoy!
I actually made this dish a couple weeks ago, just before heading off to teach in New York City. It was absolutely amazing. Thanks to Sous Style for hosting me and all the people who came out to learn and share a meal. I will post some pictures soon!
Looking forward to the classes tomorrow and Friday here in Toronto. It’s a packed summer of sharing the love! I am bursting!
Much love to all. Sunny days,
Sarah B.
How pretty!! So I was thinking about using an acorn squash with the same fillings, do you think that would be ok? Since it’s winter now the butternut and acorn squashes are plentiful at my local mart :). Also my kale seems to get a bit over cooked would you recommend putting it in the squash raw and then hope that baking it will cook it enough to prevent it from getting to brown? Thank you so much I LOVE your recipes. They really helped me to re-learn what I should be putting in my body for energy. <3
I would like to print this recipe but not all the pictures, any idea how.
The presentation is beautiful and recipe. Hoping to get some from my CSA to try these.
First recipe I’ve made from your website and it was delicious – and pretty!
Thanks
Sort your wedsite out, its a mess with the text running through everything and unreadable !
It may be your computer bud, it’s totally readable on my end
I finally found a very usefull webiste, yours, with great recipes, but you need to sort the text out ASAP, it all runs into each other and unreadable ! the text even runs through the photos ! such a shame, very disappointing as I was about to copy the recipes and also recommend friends to your website, so please have it seen to !
Thanks
Lovely! I am out of quinoa so I am going to substitute pearl barley. Can’t wait to try it
I made these over the weekend. So adorable. But,the filling is so yummy. You are right, the caraway is the thing.
(Our patty pans must be heartier here in the mountain west because they took a lot longer to cook.:))
Tried these wrapped in foil on the grill while grilling London Broil. Amazing!
I cannot wait to try this one! Thank you for the beautiful, healthy recipes.
I made these over the weekend with some patty pans I found at the local farmer’s market. I used Chevre for the cheese and red chard instead of kale. I also added shiitake mushrooms to the filling. I just wanted to say they were delicious. I loved the use of the squash flesh in the filling. Thanks for the inspiration!
Valuable information and excellent post you got here! I would like to thank you for sharing your thoughts and time into the stuff you post!!
Konto walutowe
Hey Sarah,
I love your blog way too much. I was wondering if you’d ever thought about doing something along the lines of a weekly dinner menu? I’d love to try and eat only healthy goodness for a week – but sometimes I find myself with half a bunch of kale left over or something, and struggle to do something new and fun with it the next night. I’d love a week of My New Roots menus!
I keep forgetting just how much I LOVE your blog, your posts make me happy and hungry at the same time x
http://life-of-a-london-intern.blogspot.co.uk/
I am going to make these just so I can say “Patty Pan”. Fresh and delicious.
Does anyone know of a farmers market in South London? Thanks!
Oh wow!!!!!!! I just made these, I haven’t even roasted the squash yet and I’m eating the filling!!! YUM!!!! Caraway seeds are amazing. Thanks for this. It’s so nice to find new ways with such simple ingredients.
This is such a beautiful looking dish. The presentation can’t get much better than that and the stuffing sounds excellent. I’m loving your canisters in the background. Are those vintage?
love saying the word patty pan!
Looks delicious!! Gives me an idea to stuff my tomatoes since I have way too many from the garden!!
You seriously just solved a garden mystery! We got one of those little patypans and weren’t sure if it was ornamental, edible or from outerspace. Thank you and I certainly will be trying this recipe though I may have to look for some more squash!
This recipe looks absolutely delicious and your photography is amazing. I love your use of seasonal, local ingredients. I look forward to reading more of your blog.
I get fresh pattypan from my csa – my three year old calls them “the flying saucer” squash. I can’t wait to try your version!
such a good idea! thanks for the beautiful recipes!
I love the idea of “journey” meals. Adds an element of storytelling to the recipe. Thanks for the beautiful pics and lovely recipe – I will pick up a Peter Pan Pattypan Squash the next time I see them, for sure!
Beautiful!
Nourishing!
loved your musings around the dainty looking pattypans ; nice dish
Oh patty pans are so cute and I think your stuffing looks fresh and nourishing.
The only time I’ve seen patty pans is once at CostCo. (Should definitely visit farmer markets more often) They were so cute that I picked up a bag but my meal did end up being very tasty 🙁 Will have to give your recipe a try. Love that they also have quinoa in them!
The markets are so glorious now and my garden is flourishing beyond anything I could have imagined; which makes for many meals with stories. Cooking and eating in th summe is ever so easy; I wish I could bottle the feeling I have for summe produce- id sell it and make a mint!
Beautiful! Love all the greens with the red(purple!) cabbage.
I love patty pans just for their name and their adorable miniature-ness helps too. This looks delicious. Especially the caraway addition. Love that.
dear smile-bringer Sarah, I am reading this colourful blog and I am smiling, like non-stop, the colours, the veggies, your love to food: thanks for it all!
…btw I have a confession to make:for over 3 weeks I have been making your absolutely amazing mint-green pea-pesto with some home-grown green peas (from the garden of the parents of my partner in France) and with yummy pepermint from our spice-garden-balcony:-))) I am a soooo hooked to this pesto, its my alltime favourite…and my partner who does not eat grean peas (or does sometimes have 1-2 while raising am eye-brow), is enjoying the pesto from the jar with a spoon (like a salty version of the nutella:-)
sunny hug from tulipland+merci b for this shared yumminess+thanks for having you online!