Culinary Guides

This is late summer cooking at its simplest: zucchini and onion stewed slowly in butter with a little thyme and wine until soft and sweet. When the squash is coming in fast, it pays to step back and let a few good ingredients do the talking.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 pounds zucchini or summer squash, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Torn basil leaves, for serving
• Freshly grated cheese, for serving

Directions

1. In a large heavy pan, melt the butter over medium high heat until sizzling.
2. Add the garlic, onion, and dried thyme and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes until the onion is translucent and fragrant.
3. Stir in the sliced zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes until it starts to brown.
4. Add the white wine and cook about 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until it reduces slightly.
5. Season well with salt and pepper and cook about 3 minutes more, until the zucchini is tender and the flavors meld.
6. Serve topped with torn basil and a little grated cheese.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. No thyme on hand? Oregano or rosemary work in its place.

Grower's tip: pick zucchini young, at 6 to 8 inches, for firm flesh that stews without turning watery. Check the plants every day in high summer, since a squash you miss can turn into a baseball bat overnight, and frequent picking keeps the plant producing.

This is a dish that celebrates a glut. Keep a couple of summer squash plants going, an onion bed, and a pot of basil by the door.