What to Do with All That Summer Squash and Zucchini (Besides Hiding It on Your Neighbor's Porch)
Summer squash and zucchini are everywhere this time of year, and for good reason — they're versatile, delicious, and absolutely bursting with flavor when they're fresh. Here's how to make the most of every single one.
The Zucchini Joke Is Real — But So Is the Flavor
There's an old gardening saying that in late summer, you should lock your car doors — otherwise you'll come back to find a bag of zucchini on the seat. Whether or not you've experienced that particular act of neighborly generosity, the point stands: summer squash and zucchini hit their absolute peak right now in August, and they show up in abundance. That's not a problem. That's an opportunity.
At Open Air Market Produce Stand on Barbourville Road, we're stocked with beautiful summer squash and zucchini right now — the kind that's firm, heavy for its size, and free of soft spots or wrinkled skin. When zucchini is this fresh, it genuinely tastes different than what you'd grab off a grocery store shelf. The texture holds up better when you cook it, the flavor is cleaner, and it doesn't turn to mush the moment it hits a hot pan. That matters more than people realize until they taste the difference side by side.
How to Pick the Best Ones (and What to Skip)
Size is one of the most misunderstood things about zucchini and summer squash. Bigger is not better here. The best zucchini are typically 6 to 8 inches long — still young enough to have tender flesh and small, barely-there seeds. Once they grow past 10 or 12 inches, the seeds get larger and more prominent, and the texture gets spongy. The same logic applies to yellow summer squash: look for ones that feel solid and dense, not light and hollow.
For crookneck or straightneck yellow squash, a slightly bumpy exterior is totally normal and not a sign of anything wrong. What you want to avoid is skin that's dull, soft to the touch, or starting to wrinkle at the stem end. A fresh squash should have a gentle sheen to it and feel firm all the way through when you give it a light squeeze. When you're shopping at a stand with real daily turnover like ours, you're far less likely to end up with something that's been sitting around.
Five Ways to Cook Zucchini That Actually Taste Good
Let's be honest: zucchini has a reputation problem. A lot of people have eaten it steamed into oblivion or thrown raw into a salad where it just tastes like crunchy water. The secret to great zucchini is high heat and minimal fuss. Here are five approaches worth trying this week.
First, slice it into half-inch rounds and sear it hard in a cast iron skillet with olive oil, salt, and a little garlic until it gets golden brown edges — don't stir it constantly, just let it sit. Second, cut it into planks and grill it alongside whatever else you've already got on the grill; it takes about four minutes per side and picks up smokiness beautifully. Third, shred it and fold it into pancake batter for zucchini fritters, pan-fried until crispy and served with sour cream. Fourth, hollow out a large zucchini, stuff it with seasoned ground meat and rice, and bake it in the oven — it's a full meal. And fifth, slice it paper thin with a mandoline and toss it raw with lemon juice, olive oil, shaved Parmesan, and fresh herbs for a summer salad that actually shows off the vegetable instead of hiding it.
Zucchini Bread: The Recipe That Earns Its Place
Zucchini bread gets lumped in with the 'what do I do with all of this' category, but when it's done right, it genuinely earns its place on the counter. The key is squeezing as much moisture out of the shredded zucchini as possible before it goes into the batter — wrap it in a clean dish towel and wring it hard. If you skip this step, the bread will come out gummy in the middle no matter how long you bake it.
A good basic zucchini bread uses about two cups of shredded, drained zucchini, two eggs, a half cup of oil, a cup and a half of sugar, two cups of flour, a teaspoon each of baking soda and cinnamon, and a half teaspoon of salt. Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, combine them without overmixing, pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for about 55 to 60 minutes. Add a handful of walnuts or chocolate chips if that's your style. It keeps well wrapped on the counter for three days, and it freezes beautifully — which makes it a smart way to use up a big haul before anything goes soft.
Summer Squash as a Side Dish: Quick, Easy, and Worth Making Every Night
Yellow summer squash might be one of the most effortless weeknight side dishes in the entire summer vegetable lineup. Slice it into thin coins, sauté it with butter, a little onion, salt, and pepper, and you've got something that goes alongside almost any protein in about eight minutes flat. Add a splash of chicken broth and let it reduce for a saucier version. Toss in some fresh thyme or basil from your garden if you have it. It's genuinely hard to mess up.
Another favorite around here is sliced squash roasted in the oven at 425 degrees until the edges caramelize. Toss the slices in olive oil, season generously, spread them in a single layer on a sheet pan — don't crowd them or they'll steam instead of roast — and give them about 20 minutes, flipping once. They come out golden and slightly sweet, which is a completely different texture and flavor than stovetop squash. Both are good. Both are worth having in your weekly rotation while squash is this fresh and plentiful.
Come See Us While the Season Is Running Strong
We're open seven days a week here at Open Air Market Produce Stand at 1594 Barbourville Road in London, Kentucky — Monday through Friday from 10 to 6, Saturday from 9 to 6, and Sunday from 11 to 6. August is one of the best months of the whole year for fresh produce, and summer squash and zucchini are right at the top of that list right now. We've got plenty of parking and a full stand of seasonal vegetables to browse.
If you've been searching for fresh produce in London, Kentucky or looking for a genuine Laurel County alternative to the grocery store, we're here and we'd love to see you. Grab a few zucchini, pick up some yellow squash, and try one of the recipes above this weekend. At 42 years of serving this community, we know a thing or two about what good summer produce looks and tastes like — and right now, it looks pretty great.
1594 Barbourville Rd, London, KY 40744 · Mon–Fri 10–6 · Sat 9–6 · Sun 11–6
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Serving London, Kentucky since 1984, Open Air Market is the oldest and longest-running produce market in Laurel County. For over 40 years, our family-owned stand at 1594 Barbourville Rd has been the trusted source for fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables in southeastern Kentucky. We hand-select every item for ripeness and quality — the way it's been done for four decades. Open 7 days a week.
