Summer Squash with Leek Vinaigrette

We’ve had a lot to celebrate here in Charleston.  New friends, visits from old friends, a scholarship or two, and sightseeing with our families has kept us busy and happy, mindful of the blessing of summer.  Most recently, we celebrated Bryce’s white coat ceremony at MUSC, which took place on Saturday.

Special events like this one usually call for feasting, and Bryce’s ceremony was no exception.  Over the weekend, we had a dinner and dessert downtown, cocktails at too many restaurants to count, sunset seafood  at the Isle of Palms, and an Italian brunch on John’s Island.  For someone who loves food as much as I do, it was a heady, downright dizzying weekend!

After so much extravagant eating, though, Bryce and I sometimes feel the need to do penance by eating simple, healthy meals at home.  When the time for atonement comes, we often turn to the Mayo Clinic Cookbook, a guide to health-conscious cooking designed by the famous medical institute.  It’s recipes include nutritional breakdowns beside their ingredients, which are often fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.

One of the best summer recipes in their book is for Squash with Leek Vinaigrette.  Sliced and steamed, the squash – and in my case, zucchini – are a perfect foil for a flavorful vinaigrette built around chopped leeks.

Humble as they may be, leeks are one of my favorite foods.  Like larger, milder scallions, they’re fairly inexpensive and easy to use, but they lend lots of fresh flavor to soups, sauces, and even this vinaigrette.  To make it, I softened the leeks in olive oil, then added them to vegetable stock, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

While the leeks sauteed, I steamed yellow squash and zucchini in a covered pan.  When they were tender but still firm, I tossed them into the vinaigrette and sat down to eat.

These vegetables would make a great side dish to grilled meat or fish, or even grilled portobello mushrooms.  Served atop rice, though, they can be a satisfying meal all on their own.

With recipes as flavorful as this one, even foodie penance doesn’t seem so bad.