What really grabbed me about this recipe is it’s ingenious simplicity. I get asked about vegan substitutes and replacements all the time. Yet people don’t want to hear about all the great vegan butters there are or the delicious plant-based meats—for fear that those products are more processed than what they already consume on a daily basis. Internally, I roll my eyes. Then I offer a recipe like this. I try to narrow it down to what they use and offer substitutes with things they already know, love, and have in their cupboards. Olive oil instead of dairy-butter, apple sauce instead of chicken’s eggs, etc. Or Zucchini on toast?

I love the fragrance, vibrance, and versatility of this buttery-spread. Another inspiration from Food52, I had to share it . I made a few little tweaks to the recipe that give it more complexity. You are basically cooking down shredded zucchini until it’s soft and spreadable. Smear it on crusty bread, sandwiches, pizzas, or mix it into pasta! Especially good with roasted garlic or a delicate pesto.

Luscious Zucchini Butter (makes about 2-2 1/2 cups)

Finely grate the squash and place in a colander. Push the grated zucchini against the sides of the colander to drain off some of the juice.

In a frying pan, cook the garlic with the olive oil over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the grated squash, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20-25 minutes on medium-high heat.

You will cook down the squash until it softens and releases most of it’s liquid, yielding a nice spreadable consistency.