The Walled Garden Series: Sam Story and the Patty Pan Squash
We’re back with another instalment of The Walled Garden Series, our celebration of fresh, seasonal ingredients brought to life by the brilliant chefs we’re lucky enough to work with.
This time, we’re joined by Sam Story — a chef and food educator who has been co-running the Thrills and Grills programme alongside Jake Barwood for the past three years. Sam’s journey into food is an inspiring one: he originally trained as an English teacher, but his passion for cooking led him to Ottolenghi’s NOPI in Soho, where he spent two years before freelancing as a private chef. For the past two years, he’s been part of Chefs in Schools, where he not only cooks nourishing school lunches but also runs masterclasses to inspire the next generation of cooks.
Our volunteers who tend the walled garden, informed us that we were absolutely drowning in patty pan squash. Knowing this, Sam whipped up a dish that makes the most of the glut: gently charred patty pan slices on top of a whipped yoghurt spread, layered onto toasted sourdoughn and finished with lemon and honey.
Sam’s Patty Pan and Whipped Yoghurt Toast
Serves: 1
Ingredients
Half a patty pan squash
1 slice sourdough or rustic bread
1 tbsp olive oil (plus more for finishing)
1 tsp honey
Flaky salt
Zest of ½ lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
2–3 spoonfuls thick yoghurt or ricotta
1 clove of garlic, confit
Fresh chives, finely chopped
Method
Slice the patty pan – Using a mandoline, cut the squash into ribbon-thin strips.
Char the squash – Place the slices on a heatproof tray, drizzle with olive oil and use a blowtorch to lightly char until golden. Alternatively, pan-fry quickly in a hot pan until slightly charred.
Make the dressing – In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, a pinch of salt and the zest and juice of half a lemon.
Whip the yoghurt – In a separate bowl, whisk the yoghurt (or ricotta) with a splash of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and the juice of the remaining lemon until smooth and airy.
Toast the bread – Slice the bread thinly, then toast or blowtorch it on the same tray until nicely browned. Place on a serving plate.
Assemble – If using confit garlic, rub a clove over the warm toast. Drizzle with the honey-lemon dressing, then add a generous layer of the whipped yoghurt. Arrange the patty pan slices however you like.
Finish – Garnish with chopped chives, a final drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!
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