Grilled Pattypan Squash Skewers

Grilled vegetables are awesome. I love the grill marks. I love the little bits of char they get on the edges. I love the slightly shriveled, dehydrated look of them, because I know it promises super-concentrated flavor.

I'm sure I've mentioned that I never liked summer squash - I've only begun to eat it this summer, and primarily via the grill. Well, this is becoming my favorite kind of squash to grill. I'd never eaten pattypan squash before. To be honest, I'd thought it was a winter squash variety when I'd seen it at the farmers market. But when it appeared in a bin with the zucchini at my CSA, I figured things out. I love winter squash, but summer squash is super-easy - no thick skin to peel, no stringy, seedy pulp to extract. I just sliced these babies into eights and stuck them on skewers.

The original way I prepared these was an Indian-spiced version from Cooking Light. I had actually meant to do that last night as well, but I had no fresh ginger. The ginger and other spices (whole coriander, ground cumin, etc) really give the squash some zip. Lacking the ginger, I decided to try a more Italian preparation (to go with our ravioli), coating the squash in fresh herbs, which allowed the flavor of the squash to shine on its own. The addition of some red onion adds a lovely pop of color and flavor to the skewer. A feast for the eyes as well as the palate!

Grilled Pattypan Squash Skewers

2 pattypan squash, cut into eighths

2 red onions, cut into eighths (I use the biggest pieces and reserve the small ones for other recipes)

1/4 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp dried rosemary (you could certainly use fresh herbs instead)

salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil


Combine the chopped vegetables in a bowl with the herbs, salt and pepper and oil. Toss to coat.

Thread the vegetables onto skewers (I try to alternate colors for greater visual impact).

Arrange the skewers on a preheated grill. Cook 12-15 minutes, rotating once or twice as necessary.