Summer Squash in Salads

Serve raw with other vegetables as part of a vegetable platter with dips or in salads.

Use herbs and spices to enhance the flavor of mild summer squash. Dill, pepper, basil, marjoram, chives, and mint are particularly well-suited to squash, and it is delicious cooked with garlic, onions, and tomatoes.

Summer squash bruises easily and should be handled with care. Look for firm, glossy skin; fairly heavy for size. Stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator, they should keep for a week. Freezing softens the flesh of the squash, but it will still be usable in casseroles and other dishes where crispness is not important. Blanch cut up summer squash 2 minutes before freezing, and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. For breads, freeze the raw squash whole or grated.