Roasted Trout with Herbs and Summer Squash
/I remember the first summer that Adrian and I grew squash back at our community garden when we lived in San Jose. To say the plant grew abundantly and thrived is an understatement!
Our squash story is simple and predictable, but it goes like this: Mid-summer, we left our garden alone for about a week so we could visit friends and family in Southern California. When we left town, the zucchini were too small to use up in a recipe, so we decided to let them grow a little more.
When we returned home, however, the zucchini were unrecognizable! Their growth was so freakish that each zucchini (and there were a lot!) had to have weighed at least 1.5 to 2 pounds. Some were 3 pounds. Adrian and I just looked at each other with equal parts amazement and bafflement. How did this happen? How are we going to use up all of this zucchini?
I'll just say that we made a lot of zucchini soup that year, and I honestly think I still need a break from that recipe! Since that summer, we learned to plant...less squash (!) in general, to harvest it much sooner, and to add squash blossoms to our meals to keep the crop yield down a bit.
This summer, it's yellow squash that's driving us up the wall. I swear that we blink and the squash double in size. While they're hard to keep up with, we can't really complain that we have so many vegetables at our fingertips.
So what's a yellow squash recipe that I can't get enough of in summer, even if I'm nearly squashed-out? This roasted trout recipe! It is so simple, so quick and easy, and so healthy! It's bright like summer and will leave you, your family, and your garden very, very happy!
Roasted Trout with Herbs and Summer Squash
Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 lb medium summer squash or zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeded, sliced ½-inch thick
1/3 cup chives, roughly chopped
3 vine ripe tomatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small bunch tarragon leaves
1 small bunch thyme leaves, roughly chopped
4 (6 oz) trout fillets
1/8 tsp fennel pollen
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
Directions
Preheat oven to 450F.In a large mixing bowl, add zucchini, chives, tomatoes, and garlic. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside. Add tarragon and thyme to a small bowl and lightly brush with olive oil.
Line a large baking sheet with foil and add trout to the center, skin-side down. Season the trout with fennel pollen, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add the tarragon and thyme on top of the fish. Scatter zucchini mixture around the edges and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish and the vegetables.
Bake the fish for 10 to 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145F.
If you loved this recipe, you will love my recipes for Rockfish with Orange, Fennel and Cannellini Beans, Salmon with Beurre Blanc and Sautéed Greens, and Pan-Fried Salmon over Broccolini and Farro!
