One of our favorite events every summer is The Sylvia Center’s Farm-to-Table dinner, hosted by Great Performances in the fields of Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, N.Y. The mission of The Sylvia Center is to inspire young people and their families to eat well through hands-on learning experiences on the farm and in the kitchen. Julie Cerny, farm education director and garden manager at The Sylvia Center, offers us recipes the teenagers are learning to make.
I like keeping some tortillas in the house – it means I’m never far away from a quesadilla. In July and August, when you’re swimming in summer squash, this recipe is an excellent outlet. Take advantage of grilling season by slicing the squash long and about ¼” thick, rubbing a little olive oil, salt and pepper on it, and carefully firing it on the grill until a few spots start to blacken. If you love that grilled vegetable flavor as much as I do, you’ll want to grill the scallions too. After grilling, go ahead and cut the veggies into quesadilla appropriate sizes.
If you can get your hands on some garlic chives (a very easy to grow and delicious perennial, by the way), add them to your mix of chopped herbs. Make a couple of extra quesadillas to throw in the fridge for your next snack attack. They reheat very nicely in a toaster oven or a cast-iron skillet.
Summer Squash And Scallion Quesadillas
Makes four 9” quesadillas
2 medium summer squash, julienned or grated
1 medium scallion, julienned
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
¼ cup basil, oregano, chives chopped
½ cup arugula
(8) 9” flour tortillas
Extra virgin olive oil
1. Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium-high and add a drizzle of oil. Add scallion and cook for 2 minutes, or until translucent. Add summer squash and arugula and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Heat another large non-stick skillet to medium heat and add a drizzle of oil. Place one flour tortilla into pan and sprinkle with ¼ cup of cheese, ¼ of the onion and squash mixture, and a sprinkle of the chopped herbs. Place another flour tortilla on top. When the bottom tortilla is crispy and golden brown and the cheese has melted, use a spatula to flip the quesadilla over. Cook until this side is also golden brown and crispy.