sweet miscellany

Savory buttered oats are topped with an herby zucchini compote and a fresh corn and chili pepper relish. It’s a great vegan and gluten free dish for late summer as we prepare to shift into autumn! If you’d like to head straight to the recipe, scroll to the bottom of the post.

Here we find ourselves at the precipice of the summer season. Some of you may be holding steading, unwilling to make that leap into autumn. While others of you (like me) are willingly leaping and bounding, hoping to land steadily into the next season. These transitional periods are always interesting when it comes to produce because plants don’t pay attention to the arbitrary timelines we create. Instead, they rely on the shifts in temperature and daylight to guide them. And, this is all dependent upon their physical location on our vast planet!

I wanted to share a recipe with you that is a representation of this transitional time. It’s a dish that skirts the line between summer and autumn. There are cozy and nourishing elements that sing of fall (i.e. the oats and zucchini compote) contrasted with a freshness and vibrancy that is still quintessentially summer (i.e. a raw corn and chili pepper relish). This recipe is also my little farewell to summer because on September 1st, I’m allowing my body to begin making the autumnal transition it has so desperately been craving the past couple of weeks! I’ll be welcoming back all of the warming spices, the nourishing roots, the dark leafy greens, and all the cozy vibes.

What is Zucchini Compote?

You might be wondering what the heck zucchini compote is…and I’d love to tell you! I essentially took the idea of a fruit compote but made it savory. Fruit tends to be high in water content so cooking it for a longer period of time into a compote or a jam is what transforms it into something completely different. I decided to experiment with zucchini, something this is also higher in water content, and take it on a savory route. Thus, this zucchini compote was born! It’s a thick zucchini condiment of sorts that takes about 30 minutes or so of cooking time. It’s mostly hands-off though as you occasionally stir it to keep it from burning or caramelizing too deeply.

How do You Make Zucchini Compote?

All you need is zucchini, vegan butter or olive oil, shallot, salt, and dried thyme and/or sage. You’ll mince your shallot and dice your zucchini. The shallot goes into a large skillet (a larger skillet will make the overall cook time shorter than a smaller one). You’ll cook the shallot in vegan butter for a couple of minutes until it’s beginning to turn translucent, then you’ll add your diced zucchini. You want to make sure the zucchini is diced rather than roughly chopped because smaller pieces makes it easier for the zucchini to release water and cook down evenly. You’ll also add dried thyme and/or sage with the zucchini to give it a cozy, herbal element. Once the zucchini has reduced down by about half, you’ll mash it and remove it from the heat.

What You’ll Need For This Recipe

For the compote, you’ll need zucchini, shallot, vegan butter or olive oil, and some dried herbs. I went with dried thyme and sage from my garden, but dried rosemary or basil would also be nice! Aside from the ingredients for the compote, you’ll need rolled oats, corn, chili peppers, and lemon juice. I used the kernels from 2 ears of corn since it is still in season and available fresh, You can, however, use thawed and drained frozen corn! You’ll need roughly 1 1/2 – 2 cups total if you decide to go that route. For the chili peppers, the variety you use is up to you! If you want it more on the mild side, go with a milder chili pepper or even a sweet one if you don’t want spice at all. I used the last of the Mariachi peppers from my garden which are more of a mild/medium pepper.

More Zucchini Recipes

• Golden Zucchini Crumble with Ginger
• Zucchini Cakes with Dewberry Glaze
• Zucchini Spaghetti with Tarragon & Lemon

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