The Taste of Summer

My computer crashing a week ago has severely limited my time in front of a machine when I could take some extra time to post a blog. And now, as I enter the Labor Day weekend, I feel too ominously the fast fading of summer. To capture what's left, my daughters and I are headed up to our cabin by the Yuba River in the California gold country, where the water is turquoise and glistens with gold speckles. We're about to hit the road, and I want to leave behind another taste of summer, the kind that you can spoon and put in your mouth. It's a recipe that captures the essence of summer and features zucchini and basil, both of which grow prolifically in my garden. You can enjoy it either hot or cold, so be sure to make this before the season ends. The trick to capturing the flavor of zucchini is to grate and salt it first to rid it of water. Read and cook on:

1 ½ onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbs. olive oil or a little water for sauteeing
2.5 – 3 lbs. zucchini
2 tsp. salt
6 cups vegetable stock
½ cup raw cashews
½ cup packed basil leaves

Grate the zucchini with a large-hole grater and place in a colander. Mix with the salt and place colander in a sink or over a large bowl to allow zucchini to "weep" for 20 minutes. In the meantime, sauté the diced onion and garlic in olive oil or a small amount of water, covered, until tender. With both hands, squeeze the zucchini to rid it of as much liquid as possible and add to the pot with the onions. Add the stock and cashews, bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes until tender. Puree in a blender with the fresh basil leaves, doing this in batches if necessary and combining it all in the pot. Season with freshly ground pepper and serve. Can be served chilled as well.