Tim Chin is a professional cook and writer who has contributed to Serious Eats and America’s Test Kitchen. A graduate of The International Culinary Center, Tim has cooked at restaurants in New York and Boston, working at Rouge Tomate, Northern Spy, and BiSq.

Tim Chin

There comes a point every summer when there’s just too much squash kicking around. Farmers can’t sell it fast enough, and gardeners find every excuse to off-load it to their unsuspecting neighbors. So, what’s a cook to do with all that zucchini overflowing in their CSA box? We’re here to help, with a little inspiration, a little bit of char, and a lot of flavor.Zucchini doesn’t have as much flavor as those other, more glamorous summer vegetables, like tomatoes or hot peppers; its delicate notes need to be carefully coaxed out. But summer squash does offer plenty of versatility in the texture department. Cook it soft, and you have the foundation for an amazingly smooth, velvety sauce. Cook it fast, and you get a juicy, satisfying tender-crisp texture.This recipe features both of those qualities in one cohesive dish: a silky, savory, vibrant green dressing spiked with tahini; charred morsels of summer squash punched up with vinegar; and all the herbs, crunchy nuts and seeds, and garnishes you could want in a summer salad. This dish is both deeply satisfying and showcases the versatility of summer squash.

Charred Zucchini With Green Tahini Dressing