Bye-Bye Bounty, week 9: New twists on old classics for summer squash and basil

http://www.lawrence.com/users/photos/2012/jun/24/236720/

This week I have two recipes for you that add up to one delicious locally sourced wrap.

Awesome right?

Yes. And totally healthy.

But first, the rundown of what we got last week: Potatoes, collards, eggs, broccoli, basil and summer squash.

Our potatoes went into storage, our eggs were scrambled for breakfast, the broccoli we ate out of hand. As for the summer squash, collards and basil? They all went into the wraps you see above. Yep, they’re all in there.

The basil became a pesto that’s a twist on the normal pine nut-and-cheese concoction. Instead of the norm, this pesto is made with hemp seeds to up the nutritional value. Hemp seeds have a great omega-3 essential fatty acid profile and are high protein. They have a nice, nutty flavor that is just perfect for pesto.

The summer squash, meanwhile, went into another twist on a classic: hummus. Basically, you make hummus as you normally would, but instead of the chickpeas, you use zucchini or summer squash. I used this recipe a lot last summer and it works just great to get rid of a large amount of summer squash in a hurry.

Meanwhile, the collards, of course, are being used as a wrap. Basically, you “de-vein” them by getting rid the hard stem, fill them with goodies and then roll them up. For diagram’s sake, here are the “unrolled” wraps below.

http://www.lawrence.com/users/photos/2012/jun/24/236727/

These wraps would be perfect with just a plain-old tortilla or even some nori, but, hey, if you have the collards, why not use them?

As for what we got this week? Blackberries (though, they’re already gone), beets, collards, summer squash, corn, new potatoes and (giant) shallots.

http://www.lawrence.com/users/photos/2012/jun/24/236722/

Zucchini Hummus

2 large zucchini, or 1 large zucchini and a handful of small summer squash

1/2 cup tahini

2 tablespoons lemon juice (or more)

4 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon each: salt, cumin, paprika

Push zucchini through a food processor with a shredding disc or shred by hand using a box grater.

http://www.lawrence.com/users/photos/2012/jun/24/236723/

Once shredded, put the zucchini in a bowl lined with cheesecloth. Twist the cheesecloth shut and start squeezing as much liquid out as possible. This might take awhile. (I squeeze until I get tired, dump the liquid out of the bowl and then come back to it a few minutes later and do it again.

http://www.lawrence.com/users/photos/2012/jun/24/236724/

Once you feel you’ve gotten as much liquid out as you can, put the zucchini and other ingredients in a food processor, fitted with an S blade. Process until smooth. Makes about 2 cups.

http://www.lawrence.com/users/photos/2012/jun/24/236721/

Hemp Seed and Basil Pesto (adapted from “Pure Pleasures” by Natalia KW)

2 large cloves of garlic

2 cups basil leaves, well packed

1/2 teaspoon miso

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup hemp seeds (you could also use pine nuts or walnuts, but the hemp seed has a great fatty acid profile)

1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil

Process the garlic and basil with the basil. Scrape the sides and then add the miso, salt and pepper. Process to combine. Add the hemp seeds. While processing, slowly add the olive oil through the feeder shoot. Enjoy!