Squash

Isn't it great how all the summer vegetables combine to make such diverse but consistently yummy dishes? You can mix up squash with basil and tomatoes, or with peppers and corn, or with cilantro and onions, and have three distinct combinations with the simplest and freshest of ingredients! My mother made a zucchini casserole that we all loved: chop a zucchini into 1" cubes and put them into a buttered casserole dish. Add some chopped tomatoes (peeled if they are fresh), some diced scallion, a tablespoon of sugar, dot it with a little butter, and bake it covered in a medium oven for about 20 minutes. Uncover it and top it with some grated mozzarella cheese and put it back in the oven 10 minutes or so till it's melty and bubbly. This is so simple, fresh, and satisfying! We would have it with fresh corn, salad, and something off the grill.

I also add squash (or eggplant) to my spaghetti sauce, along with mushrooms, onion, garlic, and herbs. My husband likes summer squash simply sauteed with butter and a little diced peppers and scallions. If you get a really big zucchini, you can split it down the middle and scoop out the seeds, then stuff it with mushrooms, rice, cheese, peppers, and onion. I haven't done it before, but I'll bet you could throw stuffed zucchinis on the grill, or microwave them so as to not heat up the kitchen!

Of course, my all-time favorite way to use summer squashes is ratatouille. I think there are lots of ways to make it, but the recipe I use is this: saute onion, garlic, eggplant, and green pepper in a skillet until the vegetables begin to soften. Add chopped zucchini, summer or pattypan squash, and saute a little longer till squash gets tender. Add chopped, fresh spinach, and some diced tomatoes (peeled if fresh) and cook till the spinach wilts, and the vegetables resemble a stew. Stir in a little chopped fresh basil at the very end. Serve this on rice with toasted pine nuts as a garnish. This one actually uses a lot of what we got in last week's distribution! I think I'll make it tonight!

As a final note- I could use some help with the sage- I don't have much experience with it as a vegatarian, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Tiill next week- cook what you have!