Celebrate summer tomatoes, corn, squash and eggplant with recipes from the Arab kitchen

Science and history aside, summer squash is delicious. It’s mildly sweet, with a pleasant texture that pairs well with many flavors. The varieties available in the United States seem endless. In the Arab world, cousa is most commonly available, but what we lack in variety we more than make up for in application. While summer squash in the United States tend to be sauteed, grilled or fried, and possibly added into sauces and pasta, in the Middle East the uses range from pureed for dips and spreads to stuffed, braised, stewed and even used in fattehs, a class of dishes where toasted bread is topped with various proteins, vegetables and sauces. The recipes here feature a traditional rustic dish eaten across the Levant, as well as a more modern application, which allows the summer squash’s texture and flavor to shine alongside Arab flavors.