This recipe and plating style is adapted from Thomas Keller's Masterclass. Summer time is here, which means you should start seeing piles of tomatoes at the markets. Today was the first day that I found local heirloom tomatoes and summer squash, so I grabbed a few with no intention of combining them. As usual, I caught a wiff of inspiration from Thomas Keller's masterclass and decided to do something similar. My variation was making a quick tomato pan sauce using as little salt as possible. The sodium was replaced with some champagne vinegar, which gave this dish a bright and delicious flavor. I did use some salt, but nowhere near as much as I normally use. 

Ingredients

• 3-4 golden rod squash or green zucchini

• 1 large heirloom tomato or 3 small / medium

• 3 large shallots

• 1 small bunch fresh basil

• 10oz chicken stock

• 1/3 cup sauv blanc or dry white wine

• kosher salt

• 1-2 tbsp champagne vinega

Cookware

• 2 x 12" Cast Iron Skillet

• 12" saute pan

• 1/2 sheet pan

• 1/2 sheet rack

• Kitchen towels

Short and Sweet Instructions

• split and score squash

• season flesh side with salt, cover with towels for 30 mins to draw out water

• saute flesh side down and finish in oven 20-30 mins

• saute shallots and garlic till translucent

• deglaze with wine, reduce by 2/3

• add chopped tomatoes

• cook over medium heat until broken down. 7-10 mins

• add chicken stock

• cook over medium heat until reduced by 3/4

• season with salt and champagne vinegar (1tbsp vinegar to start)

• add torn basil and let steep for 5 mins until fragrant before serving

• spoon over zucchini

• drizzle with evoo

• crack some black pepper over top

The Finished Dish