Summer vibes!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, which means I got some products I’m using for free. All opinions in this post are my own and I’m very careful with accepting sponsored posts. See full disclaimer here.

For the next post in collaboration with Rastoča Jablana, a Slovenian eco health food store, I bring you a very summery recipe for stuffed patty pan squash with their eco coconut flakes and thyme. You probably already know that I love pumpkins, so of course I also love squashes of any kind. The long green zucchini squash is the most common one here in Slovenia, but we get a bit more variety at the local farmers’ markets during the summer.

Patty pan squash is a cultivar of summer squash with a distinct flat, round flowery shape. They’re usually white or yellow and grow in bushes as opposed to long, climbing vines like winter squashes. We call them patišon here and I think that sounds adorable. Their taste is a bit milder and less sweet than zucchini, so you can afford to pair them with unorthodox flavours like I did with coconut and thyme. Also, this recipe happens to be vegan and gluten free.

Stuffed squash with coconut and thyme recipe

Ingredients

• 4 medium-sized white patty pan squashes
• 4 tablespoon eco coconut flakes
• 4 tablespoon uncooked rice
• 2 small shallots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt

For 4 servings as a side dish

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Cook the rice in salted water according to instructions on the package.

Meanwhile, use a knife and a spoon to carve out the patty pan squashes, set the carved out squash meat aside. Dice the shallots and the carved out squash meat, then cook them together in a pan with olive oil until done.

Strain the rice when it’s cooked and mix it with squash and shallot. Salt to taste, add coconut flakes, garlic powder and thyme. Transfer the squashes to a baking tray and stuff them with the rice mixture as much as possible. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the squashes it done.

Sprinkle some additional coconut flakes and thyme on top and serve with baked young potatoes, meat, fish or a vegan option. Enjoy!

This recipe yields 4 portions.

Thoughts? I know this recipe is somewhat unusual (like most of mine are), but the coconut really brings a summer element to this dish and pairs surprisingly well with thyme’s subtly floral, earthy flavour.

Download printable PDF here