I created this five ingredient recipe at home using a round summer squash from Flats Mentor Farm and both my husband and I were totally wowed by the results. The next evening I tried the recipe with regular zucchini squash and it was quite tasty, but not as stupendously delicious as when I made it with the round squash.
I was planning to use the round squash in this recipe at the market cooking demo on 9/3, but Flats had not harvested any that week, which provided an excellent teaching moment: A farmers market or local farm stand is not a grocery store that has multiple sources both near and far. In other words, you can’t always get what you want. BUT, the good news is that everything you can get is freshly picked from a local farm, and you just can’t get better than that. Plus, you can always substitute or adjust a recipe, accordingly.
I opted to use kousa squash in lieu of the round squash and texture-wise, it worked fabulously. (I find regular zucchini – and yellow summer squash – to be just a touch more watery than than round or kousa squashes.) The kousa version was quite tasty. BUT…I recommend getting the round squash from Flats Mentor Farm when they have it and use it in this recipe. Try a nibble of it raw, too. It has a slightly different taste that translates into something special when cooked.
Round (Cucurbita pepo) or Kousa Squash with Lemongrass, Onion, and Corn
- 3 Tbsp canola or other mild oil
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh lemongrass
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cups cubed squash
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels
The finished product. Even kids liked it!
Heat the oil to medium and cook the onion a bit then add the lemongrass and cook until getting soft and fragrant. Add cubed squash and cook until just soft, and add the corn and cook for just another minute or two. No seasoning necessary but you can add salt and pepper to taste, of course. 🙂
Note: The round squash pictured above, is PERFECT for this recipe. It is typically available from our Flats Mentor Farm farmers.
Click HERE for a great tutorial on preparing and cooking with lemongrass.
See below for pictures exemplifying how much lemongrass makes 2 tablespoons minced.
Click HERE for a video showing how to get kernels off the cob without the mess!
