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Grilled Summer Squash With Green Tahini

By the middle of summer we have so much squash that we often don’t know what to do with it. It’s a common problem amongst farmers and gardeners. Our farm chef, Kayla, remembers her mom having a similar predicament in their little home garden. One summer, her mom decided to get creative and make squash burgers, which Kayla remembers refusing to eat. Sometimes simplest is best! And this recipe is indeed simple. We marinate the yellow squash in olive oil and lemon before grilling it lightly and serving it with a creamy herb-infused tahini sauce. It’s delicious on its own, but you can also fold it into grilled flat bread or take a note from Kayla’s mom and serve it on a toasted bun… kind of like a squash burger!

Ingredients

  • GREEN TAHINI
  • ½ cup tahini
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 ½ medium lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 clove)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill leaves
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • SQUASH
  • 1 pound yellow squash (6 small squash), cut in ½-inch-thick planks
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (½ medium lemon)
  • ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon sumac
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh dill leaves, for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon torn fresh mint leaves, for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make the green tahini: In the bowl of a food processor, combine ¼ cup water, the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, parsley, mint, dill, and salt. Pulse until fully combined, about 1 minute. Set aside.
  2. Prepare the squash: Preheat an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan to medium.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the squash, olive oil, lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, sumac, and salt. Gently toss to coat the squash.
  4. Arrange the squash on the grill in a single layer at a 45-degree angle to the grill grates. Cook until the squash has light brown grill marks, 2 to 3 minutes. Rotate the squash planks 45 degrees and continue to cook until it has more light brown grill marks, 2 to 3 minutes more. Flip the squash over and repeat on the other side. The squash should have nice brown grill marks and still have a slight crispness to it. Transfer the cooked squash back to the bowl with the marinade.
  5. Spread the green tahini sauce on the bottom of a serving platter. Top with the grilled squash and marinade and garnish with the dill, mint, and parsley. Serve immediately.