Gorging on Gourds

You’re surely drowning in bright green gourds by now. Tired of sticking that zucchini on the grill grates and inside creamy gratins? Use the warm-weather squash in these summertime dishes perfect for grown-up garden parties and kid-friendly snacks. 1. Charred Tacos  Coat a large skillet with olive oil over high heat. Add raw corn kernels from 2 ears and cook, untouched, for 2 minutes. Toss and repeat until charred on all sides. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 diced medium onion, 1 diced jalapeño and ¹∕³ cup cooked, drained and rinsed black beans. Cook for 1 minute. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds. Season. Transfer to a bowl. Return pan to high heat, and coat with oil. Add 1 cup chopped zucchini. Cook without moving for 2 minutes. Toss and repeat until charred on all sides. Fold in ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro and juice of half a lime. Add to bowl with corn and season. Serve on seared corn tortillas with avocado-lime salsa and crumbled feta cheese. 2. Pesto Pulse 1 pound zucchini in a food processor until finely diced. Continue to pulse as you pour in a stream of oil until mixture is smooth. Add 4 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse to combine, adding more oil if needed. Add ¼ cup Parmesan and stir. Toss with cheese tortellini. 3. Soup Peel, chop and boil 1½ cups potatoes until fork-tender. Drain. Coat a Dutch oven with olive oil. Add 1 medium chopped white onion and 1 diced jalapeño, and saute until onions are translucent. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and 6 chopped medium-sized zucchini. Sprinkle with kosher salt and saute for 10 minutes. Add boiled potatoes and 4 cups vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in ½ cup freshly chopped basil. Puree. Return to pot. Add juice of half a lemon, season with salt and pepper. Whisk in ¼ cup heavy cream and ¼ cup feta cheese. Garnish with black pepper and more feta. 4. Moroccan Saute Coat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 medium sliced zucchini, 3 to 4 cups garbanzo beans, 2 cups diced tomatoes, 2 cups cooked corn and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add ½ cup freshly chopped cilantro and salt and black pepper to taste. Serve atop cooked couscous. 5. Bruschetta Slice 1 medium zucchini very thinly. Coat heavy saucepan with chili oil* over medium-high heat. Add generous pinch crushed red chile flakes and 2 minced garlic cloves. Saute for 30 seconds. Add zucchini, season with salt and black pepper, and saute until translucent. Remove from heat. Cut loaf of fresh, crusty bread into 6 thick slices. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and place under a hot broiler for 30 to 90 seconds, or until golden on top. Spread with goat cheese and top with zucchini mixture. Serve immediately. 6. Ice Cream Sandwiches Grate ½ pound zucchini, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and drain in fine mesh strainer for 1 hour. Using an electric mixer, cream 2 sticks unsalted, softened butter, 1 cup light brown sugar and ¹∕³ cup granulated sugar until fluffy. Put in a large mixing bowl. To mixing bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 egg with a wooden spoon. In food processor, pulse ¾ cup old-fashioned oats until a sandy texture. Pour in a bowl. Sift in 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves and ¼ cup whole old-fashioned oats. Whisk to lighten. Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture in 3 additions. Squeeze zucchini to release any moisture. Gently fold into dough. Stir in 2 tablespoons real maple syrup. Roll dough into a log and freeze for 1 to 2 days. To bake, evenly slice, place on lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10 to 18 minutes, or when outsides begin to turn golden. Let cool, then freeze for 30 minutes. Stir 2 tablespoons real maple syrup into 1 pint vanilla bean ice cream. Freeze. To assemble, spread ice cream atop a cookie and top with another cookie. Freeze until ice cream is frozen.