I love buying fruits and vegetables that look a little different than the norm. Face it, purple cauliflower, baby bananas, and red carrots are just fun. Same goes for the different squash and eggplant varieties you can find in abundance during the summer months. I adore those striped zucchinis, flat and yellow squashes, and long thin eggplants. Better yet, my kids think they're cool. And when kids think vegetables are cool, they're far more likely to eat them.

My daughters love to go to the farmers' market with me to pick out the vegetables that look the most appealing to them that week (although this is not as much fun as the bounce house they have there). During our visit last week, my kids were intrigued by the small globe squash and eggplant available at one of my favorite stands. They thought they looked like little vegetable planets and started deciding which one was Venus and which was Jupiter. If there's anything better than "cool" vegetables, it's vegetables that make my kids think, so obviously I bought two bags. As I handed over my money, I realized that in addition to the minor science lesson, this was the perfect opportunity to make one of my favorite summer dishes: stuffed squash and eggplant.

Stuffed squash and eggplant really make a great mid-week meal as the shape of the veggies are ideal for stuffing with leftovers. Sure you could cook up some fresh items for the stuffing, but this is really the perfect opportunity to use the rest of the chicken or beef you made on Monday, or the rice leftover from Chinese takeout the day before.

I start off by scooping the inner meat from the vegetables (this is easily accomplished with a grapefruit spoon if you have one) and then making a type of quick ratatouille out of it with some tomatoes, garlic and onion. I then mix in whatever grain I have in the fridge (although you could of course make some if you don't have any handy) and then toss in some chopped meat. When I made the dish this week I used some leftover beef brisket from the 4th of July. By the time I made this dish my husband and I were a little tired of the BBQ flavor of the brisket, but stuffed inside the vegetables with the ratatouille, rice and some cheeses, its flavors added a depth to the dish that really wowed us. Chicken, pork, or marinated tofu would also work well, as would lentils or chick peas.

Usually I bake my stuffed squash and eggplant in the oven, but this week I wanted to try grilling them. The result was really quite good. The intense heat from the grill brought out a sweetness in the squash and eggplant that baking hadn't in the past. The dish also cooked in about half the time it takes in the oven. The only problem was keeping everything upright on the grill so the stuffing didn’t spill out; this was easily remedied, however, by a muffin pan.

As we sat down to dinner, my kids saw a fun-shaped vegetable they were excited to eat, while I was marveling at how that leftover brisket and rice looked so mouthwatering inside the fresh squash and eggplant. The frugal side of me was quite pleased not to waste those perfectly good leftovers. Everyone was happy.

Stuffed Globe Squash and Eggplant

Makes: Enough for 4 - 6 people

Ingredients:

6 baby globe squash (also known as summer squash) -- around 2 inches in diameter
6 baby globe eggplants -- around 2 inches in diameter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup cooked grains (such as rice, barley, couscous, or small pasta)
1 cup chopped tomatoes or drained canned tomatoes
1 medium or 2 small onions
2 cloves garlic
1 cup cooked meat (beef, chicken, or pork diced) or cooked beans such as lentils
2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup cheese (mozzarella, jack, or anything you like that melts smoothly) chopped into small cubes
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Wash squash and eggplant and then slice off the top stem-side.

2. Scoop out the interior flesh of the vegetables, being sure to leave at least a 1/4-inch intact so the outer skin can hold the filling.

3. Chop all the vegetables (the onions, garlic and tomatoes, along with the squash and eggplant meat) into small pieces.

4. Heat about 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-reactive pan to medium heat. Add in the onions and garlic and cook for 1 - 2 minutes or until soft. Add in the squash and eggplant pieces and cook for another couple of minutes. Add more olive oil as needed at this point as the eggplant really soaks it up. Add in the tomatoes and cook until everything is soft. Season to taste.

5. Line squash and eggplant shells on a baking pan and sprinkle with olive oil and salt.

6. Add parsley and oregano to the mixed vegetables and then start scooping it into each squash and eggplant skin until half-way filled.

7. Add a cube or two of cheese to each vegetable and then continue stuffing until each vegetable is full. Top with the remainder of the cheese.

8. Heat your grill to medium high and then set each stuffed squash and eggplant onto direct heat (being careful to stand them up straight so the filling doesn’t fall out). Cook for around two minutes with the cover down.

9. With tongs, transfer the eggplant and squash to a muffin pan (you can pair up some of the smaller vegetables) and set the pan inside the grill with the cover down.

Note: Use an old muffin pan you no longer care much about or, if you have a nice one, cover each receptacle with aluminum foil.

10. Grill for another 5 minutes or until everything looks nicely cooked.

11. Repeat until all vegetables are cooked.

12. Serve with a salad or bread.

I'm not a vegetarian. It's not that I have anything against it really, I'm just far too hedonistic to limit myself. So with a healthy dose of hedonism—and summer's wares peaking—I find myself gorging on more and more vegetables and fruits fresh from the market. Meat has taken a backseat. I'd rather bite into a big juicy tomato than a big juicy steak.

And, as in my last post on market suppers, I'm constantly looking for new and delectable ways to eat them—even though currently it seems to be raw, out of hand, and with little or no embellishment. When I'm feeling a bit more inspired, and have a little extra pastry dough on hand (which is actually quite often as I make way more than I need and store extra disks in my freezer), I love tucking whatever leftover vegetables that need to be eaten into a quiche or tart, like this one. It is deliciously simple and gooey with three different kinds of cheese.

The recipe below is for a zucchini tart, because I can't seem to stop loading up on them each week at the market. But to make this an any-kind-of-vegetable tart, replace the zucchini with about 1/2 cup sautéed leeks; blanched asparagus, green beans or chopped broccoli or cauliflower; freshly cooked chopped spinach or other greens; fresh, chopped tomatoes; fresh corn kernels; or a mixture of any of these. You can also add a sprinkle of fresh herbs, like basil, marjoram, oregano, chives, or swap out the cheeses for your favorite.

The point is, this is an extremely versatile way to make your own seasonal specialty. Or just find something new to do with that bounty of fresh veggies you have in your fridge.

Zucchini (Or Any Veggie) Tart

Makes: One 10-inch tart

Ingredients:
One 10-inch tart pan lined with flaky pie dough (see recipe below or use your favorite recipe)
3 zucchini, trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup cubed fresh mozzarella
3 eggs
1/4 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup shredded fontina cheese
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line the tart pan with the dough, then line the dough with foil. Fill with ceramic pie weights or beans or rice. Place the tart shell on a baking sheet and bake until it starts to dry out, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue to bake until very light golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

2. While the tart shell is baking, shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater-shredder onto paper towels. Spread evenly and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for about 20 minutes. Using paper towels, blot the zucchini dry (try to get it as dry as possible).

3. Sprinkle the zucchini and mozzarella evenly in the lined tart pan. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, crème fraiche, and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour evenly over the zucchini. Sprinkle the fontina and Parmesan evenly over the top.

4. Bake until the filling is set and the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. If you want to get the cheese extra bubbly and brown, place under the broiler for a minute. Let sit for a few minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Flaky Pie Dough

Makes: Enough for two 10-inch tarts

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
12 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup ice water + 1 tablespoon

Preparation:
1. To make the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, stir together the flour, and salt. Sprinkle the butter over the top and process for a few seconds, or just until the butter is slightly broken up into the flour but still in visible pieces. Sprinkle the water over the flour mixture evenly, then process until the mixture just starts to come together.

2. Dump the mixture out of the bowl onto 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Press the dough together into a mound and then wrap with plastic and press into a flat disk. Refrigerate the dough until chilled, about 30 minutes or up to 1 day, or freeze for up to 1 month.

I love this time of year. It’s often a bit warmer out, the kids are out of school, and zucchinis are in season. Although you can easily get zucchinis all year long, they just aren’t as fresh when shipped from hundreds of miles away (usually from Mexico) in the winter. As a fan of this versatile squash variety, I have been indulging in its seasonality, purchasing and eating it pretty much every week, all summer long. I prefer to buy zucchini at my local farmer’s market, where there are a range of varieties (light green, dark green, with a ribbed exterior, with yellow stripes, and the list goes on) that are usually just-picked and on the small side. They are also pretty easy to grow at home.

Zucchini is best barely cooked. Baked, fried, or simmered too long, and it looses its moisture content and becomes soggy. Al dente and raw zucchini recipes highlight the squash’s naturally subtle sweetness and crisp texture. It's unfortunate that so many people overcook their vegetables anyway, but with zucchini, it is -- as my mother would say -- a sin because you lose its innate nutty sweetness. Following are four of my favorite recipes which I think capture the summer flavor of zucchini best. I hope you like them.

The first recipe uses zucchini flowers, which are usually available at your local farmer’s market, or you can grow them yourself. Sweet and earthy, with a light texture, these are really the perfect vehicles for containing soft cheeses I recently made this dish on a few separate occasions, once using goat cheese, another time ricotta and the third time with brie. Eaten on its own, or in crusty bread as a sandwich, these little morsels epitomize summer.

The second recipe is for a raw zucchini salad. It is simplicity incarnate. When made with just picked squash, the tenderness of the vegetable meat creates a subtle flavor that beautifully pairs with the sweetness of vine-ripened cherry tomatoes. And, with only splash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of salt, the freshness of the zucchini is the real star.

The third recipe is my mother’s favorite. Just thinly slice zucchini and lightly sauté it in extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle on some red wine vinegar and salt and then serve room temperature or chilled. It’s a great alternative to a standard dinner salad. When I was a kid, my mom would eat so many freshly fried zucchini pieces fresh out of the pan that our salads were often on the small side, so be sure to cut up enough slices.

Finally, my daughters’ new favorite dinner: zucchini calzones. This is a take on the standard spinach pie. Accompanied with fresh ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan and then stuffed into fresh pizza dough and baked, it’s a little pillow of happiness.

Oh, zucchini. How do I love thee. Let me count the ways…

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Serves: 4-6 as an Appetizer or Makes 2-4 Sandwiches

Ingredients:
12 Zucchini Flowers
8 oz. Goat cheese, ricotta cheese, or brie
1 Tbsp Basil chopped (optional)
1 Egg
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Soak flowers in a bowl of water and thoroughly rinse the inside of each one by gently opening them. When finished, pat flowers dry and lightly salt.
2. Mix cheese with some salt and pepper to taste and add the basil (if using).
3. Fill each flower with enough cheese to cover the inside width, being sure not to overfill, and then twist the petals to close it.
4. Scramble the egg, season it with some salt and pepper, and then dip each stuffed flower in the egg.
5. In a medium to large pan, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom about a 1/4-inch deep.
6. When pan is hot (but not scalding), add the egg-dipped flowers and sauté on each side until golden brown.
7. Drain on paper and serve either as an appetizer or in Italian bread as a sandwich.

Raw Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 smallish or 2 large zucchinis
A half pint of cherry tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil (the good stuff, if you have it)
About a half lemon
Kosher or sea salt

Preparation:
1. Wash zucchini and grate it using the coarse side of your cheese grater.
2. Set zucchini in a bowl and sprinkle on enough olive oil to lightly coat. Squeeze on the lemon juice and season with salt.
3. Divide zucchini onto salad plates, lay the tomatoes on top, and serve.

Fried Zucchini Salad

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:
4 Medium zucchinis
Extra virgin olive oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Cut zucchinis into 1/4-inch slices.
2. In a medium to large pan, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom about a 1/4-inch deep.
3. When the oil is medium-high heat (but not scalding), cook the zucchini slices in batches until golden brown on each side.
4. Remove the zucchini from the pan and lay in a platter. Sprinkle on enough red wine vinegar to lightly coat the zucchini.
5. Season with salt and serve either room temperature or chilled.

Zucchini Calzones

Makes: 6 calzones

Ingredients:
4 Medium zucchinis
Extra virgin olive oil
1 lb Fresh pizza dough, rested at room temperature
8 oz Fresh ricotta cheese
4 oz Freshly grated mozzarella
2 oz Freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash zucchini and grate it using the coarse side of your cheese grater.
3. Place ricotta in a bowl and season with some salt and pepper. Set grated mozzarella and grated Parmesan next to the ricotta so you have an assembly line of cheese ready to go. Oil a large baking sheet and set at the end of the assembly line.
4. In a large pan on medium to high heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and add zucchini when the pan is hot.
5. Salt zucchini and then sauté on high heat so it crisps a little on the ends. Cook until al dente.
6. Meanwhile, divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Spread some flour on a counter top or cutting board and then stretch each piece into a round circle, thinning (but not ripping) the dough as you gently tug it.
7. When the dough is about the size of your hand, set about a 1/8 - 1/4 cup of zucchini inside it, along with an equal measure of ricotta, about 2 Tbsp grated mozzarella and a sprinkling of Parmesan.
8. Fold the dough over the fillings and press the ends tight so there aren’t any leaks. Set each piece on the oiled pan when finished.
9. Rub olive oil on top of the calzones and then set in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
10. Serve all hot and gooey.