Recipe: Simple Summer Squash and Potato Salad

Ralph Lauren’s summer lineup of clothing could never compete with nature’s tasteful collection of summer squash. And the babies — ah, the charming Thumbelinas of the squash world — never cease to enchant. Many baby vegetables, especially those purchased the day they are picked, are at their height of flavor served raw. After that first day, they become limp, so — if appropriate — I blanch them in heavily salted, rapidly boiling water a minute or two. I follow the immersion with an ice water bath if I plan to serve them cold, room temperature or reheated. This procedure yields a flavorful crunch, and the icy bath intensifies their natural color. The whole potatoes take longer to cook, 10-15 minutes in boiling water.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
• 4 cups baby (3/4 inch to 1 inch) squash, root ends trimmed if desired
• 4 cups baby (1/2 inch to 1 inch) redskin potatoes, washed
• 2-3 cups baby cherry tomatoes, washed

Directions:

1. Make a vinaigrette by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Stir in basil and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Reserve.

2. Bring two large pots of heavily salted water to a boil. In one pot, boil potatoes 10-15 minutes, depending on size of potato, or until tender. Drain.

3. In the other pot, blanch baby squash 1-3 minutes, depending on size of squash and desired degree of tenderness. Drain squash, then place in an ice water bath. When squash is chilled, remove from bath and pat dry.

4. Toss the squash, potatoes and tomatoes with the vinaigrette. Add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately or let the salad sit in the vinaigrette a few minutes at room temperature, stirring occasionally, to absorb additional flavor.

*Note: After a couple of hours of refrigeration, squash will begin to discolor.

This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on July 28, 2011.