Summer Squash & Monterey Jack Empanadas

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Medium dice the squash. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Grate the cheese on the large side of a box grater. Cut out and discard the stem, ribs, and seeds of the pepper; medium dice. Remove and discard the corn husks and silks. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs; discard the cobs. Peel the cucumber, leaving alternating strips of skin intact. Quarter lengthwise; scoop out and discard the seeds. Thinly slice crosswise. Thinly slice crosswise. Halve the finger limes crosswise. Quarter the lime. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and stems. In a bowl, whisk together the crema, the juice of 2 lime wedges, half the cilantro, 2 teaspoons of water, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the squash. Cook, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned. Add the spice blend and half the garlic; cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Turn off the heat; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly oil a sheet pan. Fill a small bowl with water. Place the empanada wrappers on a work surface. Spoon 3 rounded tablespoons of the cooked squash into the center of each wrapper (you may have extra squash); top with the cheese. Working 1 at a time, using your fingers, lightly moisten the edges of the wrappers with water; carefully fold in half over the filling. Using a fork, firmly press down to crimp and seal. Carefully transfer to the sheet pan. Bake, rotating the sheet pan halfway through, 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed up. Remove from the oven; let stand for 2 minutes. Divide between 4 dishes.

While the empanadas bake, wipe out the pan used to cook the squash. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the pepper, corn, and remaining garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a large bowl; let cool for at least 10 minutes.

To the bowl of cooled corn and pepper, stir in the cucumber, remaining cilantro, and the juice of the remaining lime wedges; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide between the dishes of baked empanadas.

Top the baked empanadas with as much of the cilantro-lime crema as you’d like. Using your fingers, squeeze upwards from the bottoms of the finger limes to release the pulp over the empanadas. Serve with any remaining crema on the side. Enjoy!