Day 22 - Mexican Lasagna

Well, I've spent the last three days in Rhode Island where I was able to get to three days of music at the Newport Folk Festival (www.newportfolkfest.net).  I caught sets from Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Trampled by Turtles, of Monsters and Men, the Head and the Heart, Iron and Wine and others.  I was able to spend good, quality time with a couple of old friends that I see only once in a while….Really, just an incredible weekend.

The venue at Newport is just beautiful, and the music is wonderful.  The artists actually walk the grounds with the crowd, and it is not uncommon to find yourself standing next to someone you saw on stage earlier in the day.  One of the guys I was with ran into (literally) Jackson Browne as he was walking to one of the stages.  If you are interested, you can find audio and video files of the festival on the NPR website (http://www.npr.org/event/music/155839092/newport-folk-festival-2012?ps=mh_frhdl2)

The Festival was fantastic, but it did put a crimp in my squash cooking.  Today's post is a recipe that I made several days ago.  This is a tasty, not too spicy casserole.  The tortillas cook in the casserole and take on a very noodle like quality, so my kids started calling this "Mexican Lasagna".  It is lasagna like in that there are layers, cheese and tomatoes, but to me the similarities stop there.

Give yourself 45 minutes to put this together, and 45-55 minutes for it to bake.

Mexican Lasagna

8 oz Italian Sausage
2 Chourizo Sausages
3 medium potatos
2 medium squash (yellow and green work best, but any summer ones will do)
1 small onion
1 T Olive Oil
16 taco size four tortillas
2 small jars of salsa (or one large)
8 oz grated cheese (or more if you like it cheesy)
1 small can of black beans (14 oz size)

Cook off the sausages, breaking them into small pieces as they cook.  Once the sausage is done, drain the grease and set the sausage aside.  While the Sausage is cooking, chop the onion, potato and squash into a large dice (1/4 inch or more).  Heat the oil, saute the potato for 5 minutes.  Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes more, until the onion just starts to get clear.  Add the squash and cook just until the squash starts to get soft 2-3 minutes more.  You don't want the veggies to be super done, just cooked through.  In a large bowl, mix the meat and veggies together.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In an 8 1/2 by 14 inch pan, pour enough salsa to cover the bottom of the pan.  This doesn't need to be too thick, you are just putting enough to keep the tortillas from sticking.  Take 3 tortillas, and cut them in half.  Place the tortillas with the cut side facing the edges so that you cover the bottom of the pan.  You'll have a big gap in the middle, which you can cover with a whole tortilla.  This is your first layer.  Add about one third of the meat/veggie mix and spread evenly.  Top with about a quarter of the cheese and a quarter of the remaining salsa. Repeat this two more times.  On the top of the casserole, spread the rest of the salsa and the remaining cheese.  You should now have a complete (and very heavy) dish.

Cook for 30 minutes and check the casserole.  If the top is getting too done, cover in foil and cook the last 15 to 20 minutes.

Reviews:  Well we snuck some squash into the 8 year old.  She also loves the sausage in this.  The teenagers ate it up as well.  Adults like this recipe, but would maybe like it a little spicier.

Note:  To spice this up, you can add Jalapeno pepper to the veggies.  You could also use only chourizo, use a hot salsa, or add spices to the veggie mix.   There are almost infinite options….which is what cooking is all about right?

Day 21 - Squash Loaf

Well, I think I have figured out the mystery of the missing boxes.  We had a Purple Heart Pick up on CSA delivery day.  My best guess is that the bags of clothes that were on our front stoop got picked up along with our food boxes by the Purple Heart pick up team.  So hopefully some one is eating very well, and the food didn't go to waste.  They took the three empty boxes as well.

Thank you to Great Country Farms (www.greatcountryfarms.com) for providing additional boxes.  Our fridge was feeling very sad (empty fridges are sad) without all of the wonderful produce.  We got yummy melons, green beans, several varieties of tomatoes, sweet corn, and of course….squash.   Awesome.

This recipe represents the 25% mark.  I am a quarter of the way there.  Hard to believe.  I am on my way up to Newport RI for the Newport Folk Festival.  I have some recipes in reserve so that I can continue to post while I am gone.  This one I made early on in this journey.  I tweaked the recipe a little, and I think it is now ready to be published.  This is one where a little tweak here and there when you make it is just fine.

Squash Loaf


3 large squash, a mix of yellow and green is best
1 medium onion
3 carrots
1/2 cup matzoh meal or unseasoned bread crumbs
3 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup grated sharp cheese (swiss or something else really sharp)
salt and pepper to taste (1 tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper is good.  In place of the pepper, try hot sauce)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor grate the squash, onion and carrot (it will take more than one batch).  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add the eggs and matzoh meal.  Mix very well and let sit for 15 minutes.  Add the cheese, salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Add the oil to an 8 1/2 by 14 inch glass pan.  Place the loaf mix in the pan.

Cook for 45-50 minutes or until well browned.

I served this for dinner, but leftovers were eaten for breakfast and lunch as well.

Reviews:  Well liked by the 8 year old (the cheese does it, I think).  The teenagers and Becca also liked it.  Since I have now made a version of this twice, you can imagine what the reaction would be if I made it a third time...

Day 20 - Squash Parmesan

Well, I'm a little worried.  Today is CSA delivery day.  This is usually my favorite day of the week, as I unpack my boxes and start to plan what I am going to make with the wonderful bounty provided by Great Country Farms (www.greatcountryfarms.com).  Alas, the boxes didn't show up!  I hope that nothing is wrong, and that the boxes come tomorrow.  I am really looking forward to the tomatoes, peaches and of course….squash.

The recipe I am posting tonight, I actually made last Sunday.  Sunday night dinners are times when we like to have guests.  This week we had my parents over.  The boxes we received last week had beautiful black eggplant.  As of Sunday, I had not used what came in our box the previous Tuesday.  So, Sunday night was eggplant parmesan night.  Which, of course, I made along side squash.

Rather than fry the squash, I decided to do an oven baked version.  It helps to keep the calories down, and is equally delicious.  So here is my recipe for squash parmesan.

Squash Parmesan


for the breading:

1C matzoh meah
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1 tsp ground pepper
1 T granulated garlic
1 tsp salt

for the egg wash:

2 eggs
1 Cup of milk

for the assembly of the dish

2 large eggplant
2 large squash
2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
3 cups of mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb of good italian sausage cooked (I love the sausage sold in the GCF farm store)
spray oil

It is always a good idea to have your ingredients ready ahead of time.  You will need a baking sheet and two long shallow bowls for the assembly.

Mix the ingredients for the breading together and place into one of the long flat bowls.  Mix the eggs and milk together in the other bowl.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Slice the squash and eggplant into 1/4 inch wide slices.  The squash should be sliced lengthwise, the eggplant into circles.  Dip the squash and eggplant into the egg mix, then into the breading.  Once breaded, place on your cookie sheet.  Once every piece is breaded, spray lightly with the spray oil.  Place the cookie sheet in the oven and cook until the squash and eggplant are crisp, about 15 minutes.

Once the squash and eggplant are done, take the sheet out of the oven.  Top each piece with tomato sauce, sausage and grated mozzarella.  Place back in the oven and cook until the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes.

I served mine with spaghetti.  Yummy!

Reviews:  Well loved by all.  Even the 8 year old was fooled into eating some.  This made great left overs as well,

Day 19 - Quinoa Stuffed Squash

Qunioa is an ancient grain.  Well, actually it is not a grain at all.  It is a seed that we cook like a grain.  Quinoa is higher in both protein and fat than wheat.  You can find it in most markets, in the rice aisle.  Qinoa comes in both white and red varieties.  As far as I can tell,other than the color, there is no difference between the red and white varieties.  And best of all, Quinoa is an excellent scrabble word.


This past weekend, I took the whole family to Great Country Farms (www.greatcoutryfarms.com) for Blackberry picking.  The blackberries have been fantastic this year, and we wanted a couple more quarts before the season ends. Becca and I love bringing folks out that have never been to the Farm, and this time we brought the parents of one of our 15 year old's friends.  They loved the place (how can you not, it is a slice of heaven on earth), picked several quarts of blackberries, some peaches and some cherry tomatoes.  


While we were there, we got to spend some time with Farmer Kate.  The folks at GCF have just been wonderful with this blog, putting links on the weekly CSA newsletter.  Without their publicity, the only people reading this would have the same last name that I have.  I really am grateful.  I told Kate about some of the recipes I have planned, and in this week's newsletter, Kate publicized a Quinoa stuffed squash that I plan to make.  So that I don't make a liar out of Kate, here is my version of Quinoa Stuffed Squash.


Quinoa Stuffed Squash


3 or 4 Zucchini, yellow squash or yellow zucchini
1 lb ground pork
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup pine nuts well toasted
2 cloves garlic crushed or very finely minced
1 cup cooked Quinoa
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 T fresh Basil finely chopped
1/2 Cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste 


Slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Mix all of the other ingredients together in a large bowl until well incorporated.  Fill the scooped out squash with the stuffing mix.  Cook in a 375 degree oven until the filling is cooked, and the squash is soft enough to prick with a fork. (about 35-45 minutes).


Reviews:  I haven't actually made this yet, but when I do, I'll change the post to add reviews.

Day 18 - Quiche!

My family has been clamoring for a Quiche since I started this little adventure.  I've been resisting, as making a Quiche is a fairly time intensive process, especially if you are making the pie shell from scratch.  The dough has to sit, and the cook time for the pie is about an hour.  But it is the weekend, so I decided to suck it up and put together a squash Quiche.


Once upon a time, I put a fair amount of time into the kitchen of a restaurant in Boston.  I had just graduated college and found a job at a Faniuel Hall place called Serendipity III.  The Jon Cusak movie was about the New York (original location) restaurant of the same name..  The owners had expanded to Boston and Wesport CT.  After a while, both Boston and Westport closed.  Now there are Serendipity III locations in Florida, Las Vegas and Georgetown.  Two of the three original owners are gone, but Steven Bruce is still here.


The Quiche that Calvin Holt taught me how to make is what I still make today.  So, thank you Calvin and Steven for teaching me this excellent Quiche recipe.  This is by no means low calorie, but it is absolutely delicious.


Squash Quiche


For the dough:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water


For the Pie:
8 oz. Sour Cream
9 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1 1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 medium onion sliced thinly
1 zucchini cut into quarters then sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 yellow zucchini cut into quarters then sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup fresh basil coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 T Olive Oil
1T Butter
freshly grated pepper


Make sure that your butter is very, very cold.  It is even ok to cut the butter and stick it in the freezer for a few minutes prior to starting.    In a food processor, mix the flour and the salt.  Add the butter, pulsing the mix just until the dough starts to take on the texture of a course meal.  Be careful not to over process the dough.  Once the butter in incorporated, turn the dough into a large bowl.  Slowly add the ice water, mixing with your hands.  Add only enough water so that the dough just comes together.  Gather the dough together into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Longer is OK.


While the dough is resting, melt the butter.  Once the butter is melted, add the olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the onion, and cook until the onion just begins to brown. Add the squash and cook until the squash starts to brown.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two longer.  Add the basil, keep the vegetable mix on the heat just until the basil wilts.  Take off of the heat and set aside.  This is a good time to preheat your oven to 375 degrees.


To make the custard, always start with the heaviest ingredients and add each lighter ingredient.  If you do not work in this direction, you will end up with a lumpy custard that will not cook well.  Put the sour cream in a large bowl.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing a little between the addition of each egg.  Once the eggs and sour cream are mixed together very well, add the milk.  If the custard feels too heavy, add a little more milk.  Grate in some black pepper and set aside.


Now that the pie dough has been sitting for at least 30 minutes, take it out of the fridge, and roll it out so  that it is large enough to fit into your pie pan, and is not more than 1/4 inch thick.  Place the dough into your pie pan, press the dough into the pan so that it fits well.  Take a fork and prick the dough all over.  Put the dough in the oven to cook for a 5 to 6 minutes.  You want it to be a little cooked, but not so much that it burns during the rest of the cooking time.


Once the dough has pre-cooked, you are ready to start assembling the Quiche.  I always cook pies with the pie pan on a cookie sheet.  There is nothing worse that a pie that overflows the pie pan, spilling filling on the inside of the oven.  Things start to smoke, and there is almost nothing you can do except let it burn.  So, grab a cookie sheet, put your pie pan on it, and start adding to the pie pan.


Add the vegetables and spread them evenly over the inside of the pie.  Do the same with the grated cheese. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pan so that the egg fills in all of the openings in the filling.  Get it as close to the rim of the pie as you can.


Put the Quiche on the middle rack of your oven and cook it for 50 minutes.  Check the pie after 50 minutes by giving it a light shake.  If it is still jiggley, cook it for an additional 10 minutes.  Make sure it doesn't get too dark brown.


Serve the pie with a salad (I did, and I'll post that recipe later in the week)


Reviews:  8 year old said "is there squash in this?"  There was, and she ate around it.  I think we snuck a few pieces into her.  The 15 year old liked it.  Becca loved it.  The 18 year old just came back from camp.  She declared "the best thing about camp was that I didn't have to eat squash".  She ate it, and I think she actually liked it.


Enjoy!

Day 17 - Penne Pasta and Patty Pan

My family just loves when I make pasta with a white sauce.  Despite the fact that they are beginning to tire (especially the kids) of all of the squash, everyone was excited when I told them that I was making pasta.

Almost anything can go into a pasta dish.  Sometimes I use pasta as a "clean out the fridge" meal.  In this case, I had planned this into my week, so there was a lot of good stuff to add.  The ingredient list varies each time I make it, but there are a couple of things that are always good to include.  I really like to make sure that a green leafy vegetable is always included.  A base of onion and garlic sauteed in olive oil is the best base to use.  Meat is optional, but I like to have some sort of sausage.  Really good parmesan cheese and fresh basil is a must.

It is always a good idea to have your ingredients ready ahead of time, and because this is a fairly fast mover once you get started, it is especially important with this recipe.  Also, it is best to use really fresh ingredients, and the best quality cheese that you can find.  The other secret is to appropriately salt your pasta water.  The water should taste like sea water.  The salt helps to flavor both the pasta and your sauce.  Without it, you end up with a bland dish.

Penne Pasta and Patty Pan Squash


1 lb. box Penne Pasta
2 cups of pasta water

2 medium squash
1 small onion
2 chicken sausages ( I like the precooked kind, if you are using one that is not precooked, cook it off ahead of time.)
2 cloves of garlic
1 5 oz bag baby spinach
1/2 red pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup basil leaves
freshly ground pepper

Slice the ends off of the squash, slice into 1/4 inch slices, set aside.  Slice the pepper so that they are about the same size as the squash.  Cut up the sausage as well. Coarsely chop the basil

Bring 2 quarts of well salted water to a hard boil.  Add the pasta and turn down the heat so that the pasta boils and a soft rolling boil.  Cook the pasta until it is just done.  Be careful not to over cook the pasta.  Be sure to save two cups of the water that was used to cook the pasta.  You will need it for your sauce.

While the pasta is cooking, saute the onion until it just starts to brown.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer.  Add the sausage, squash and pepper, and cook until the sausage is browning and the vegetables have just started to soften.  Add the spinach and basil and let the heat wilt them.

Return the drained pasta to the pot.  Add the vegetables and sausage and mix together.  Add the cheese and mix.  Carefully add enough of the pasta water to create a sauce.  Serve and enjoy!

Reviews:  Well liked by everyone. The 8 year old pick out the squash (what a surprise)

Day 16 - Squash and Politics

Well, I did the math and it doesn't look good.  Even if I make squash every day from now until the end of the CSA season, getting to 104 recipes is almost impossible.  Even if I use winter squashes, at best all I get out of it is a little variety.  There just isn't enough time.  I'm not giving up on the the challenge, but it is starting to look like getting to 104 recipes may not be possible.  I'll still try though.

All that said, I was amazed today when I looked at my page counter and found that I have had almost 6,500 page views since I started this little journey.  Thank you everyone for your support and readership.  I am having a lot of fun with this little pet project of mine, and I hope that you have as much fun reading about my cooking as I have had writing about it.

Tonight we had some good friends over for dinner and a robust conversation on the state of politics in Virginia.  Despite the very real threat of rain, I decided to barbecue some chicken.   What goes well with barbecue and politics?  Potato salad of course!  The discussion, spending time with good friends that we hadn't seen in a while, and with a very nice Claret (brought by our friends) from Linden Vineyard here in Virginia made for an excellent combination.

This is another adapted recipe.  I've been making something similar for years.  This time I added grilled squash to make it "bloggable".  Enjoy.

Potato and Squash Salad


7 or 8 medium potatoes cut in half and then into 1/2 inch slices
1 cup feta cheese crumbled
2-3 medium grilled squash cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 cup of sliced kalamata olives
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of dill
2T Olive Oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Fill a large pot with water.  Add enough salt so that the water is well salted.  It should taste like sea water.  Bring the water to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes and cook until the potato is just soft.  Drain, wash, and set aside to cool.

Once the potatoes are cool, add the feta, squash, and olives.  Take the stems off the dill, chop and add the dill.  Crush or finely mince the garlic and add that as well.  Stir well, then add the red wine vinegar and olive oil.  Stir to incorporate all of the ingredients.  Refrigerate for at least an hour, longer if you have the time.  The longer this sits, the better it is.

Reviews:  Well liked all around.  The little ones even ate it.  This is one of Becca's favorites.  The leftovers will be fought over tomorrow.

Day 15 - Stuffed Squash Vegetarian Version 1.0

This one is adapted from one of the Moosewood Cookbooks.  I like the Moosewood recipes.  The original Moosewood cookbook was one of my first forays to cooking.  The recipes tend to be complex, but are easy to follow, and are almost always really tasty. There are recipes in the original Moosewood cookbook that I make today.

The CSA boxes from Great Country Farms (www.greatcountryfarms.com) that we received last Tuesday had some wonderful squash varieties in them, including two different kinds of round squash.  A Starburst looks like a yellow version of the Patty Pan.  It has a very mild flavor, and really lends itself well to stuffing.

Spinach and Tempeh Stuffed Squash

5 or 6 medium Patty Pan or Starburst Squash
1 package of 5 grain Tempeh
1 medium onion
8 oz. brown mushrooms
2 T Olive Oil
1/4 cup dill
1/2 tsp salt
1 T Sherry
2T light soy sauce
5 oz (1 package) baby spinach
3/4 Cup tomato juice
1/2 cup grated fontina cheese

Mince the onion.  Saute in the olive oil until very soft. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are well done. Crumble the Tempeh and add to the onion and mushroom mix  Add the garlic and cook for two or three minutes more.  Add the dill, salt, sherry and soy.  Mix well.  Add the spinach, and cook just until the spinach is done.  Take off the heat and let cool a little.

Slice the tops off of the squash and scoop out the inside. The squash should look like round little boats. Fill the squash with stuffing mix rounding the tops off.  Put the stuffed squash into a baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the squash.  Pour the tomato juice into the bottom of the dish.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes until well browned.

Reviews:  Well liked.  The 8 year old anti-squash girl tried the squash, liked the filling.  The 15 year old liked it.  Becca thought it was good.  A dish I would make a gain

Day 14 - Squash and Cilantro Salad

Sometimes you just have to give in to the heat.  Here in DC, we're back in the thick of it.  Hot and humid, and just nasty.   The heat is great for growing squash, but really does a number on one's appetite.  It's just too hot to eat.

With CSA delivery day coming, and with a lot of squash still in the fridge, I needed to do something that would use what I had left, yet was light enough to be appetizing.  My decision was to go with another grilled salad.  This one uses a very light citrus dressing, and lots of cilantro.  Cilantro is one of those herbs that people either love, or hate.  If you're not a fan, skip the cilantro and add very finely chopped ginger instead.  Light and yummy.

Squash and Cilantro Salad


4 squash, ends cut off and cut in half
1/4 cup plus 1 T of Olive oil
salt and pepper
juice from 1/2 a lemon
juice from 1/2 a lime
1/2 tsp of hot sauce
1 tsp of dijon mustard
1/2 cup cilantro chopped

Use the 1/4 cup of olive oil to brush the cut side of the cut side of the squash.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on the grill, cut side down and grill until well browned.  Once well browned turn over and cook the skin side.  Once the skin side has a nice char, take off the grill and let cool.  Once the squash has cooled, cut into 1/2 inch slices.  Place the slices in a large bowl.

In a small bowl mix the hot sauce, lemon juice and the lime juice together.  Slowly whisk in the remaining olive oil.  Once well incorporated add the dijon mustard and mix well.  Add the Cilantro.  Pour over the squash and mix well.

Reviews:  8 year old wouldn't even put it on her plate.  My 15 year old and her friend enjoyed it.  Becca is not a huge cilantro fan.  She liked it, but didn't love it.

There is lots of grilled squash left.  More salads coming….

Day 13 - A salad, for a change

Today's recipe is inspired by a salad from this week's Weight Watcher's weekly.  Feta, Chickpeas, olives and pepper go perfectly with…..you guessed it!!! SQUASH!

Hot days lend themselves well to lighter dishes.  This particular salad is light, easy to make and gets even more flavorful as it sits.  I served it for lunch with BLTs.  It was a perfect side dish, but would also make a great main course served on top of a bed of mixed greens.  For a heartier version, add grilled chicken.

Squash and Chickpea Salad


1 cup of yellow squash or zucchini cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 cups of canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 clove of garlic finely chopped or pressed
2 T finely chopped scallions or chives (I used chives from the herb garden.  yummy)
1/2 cup roasted red pepper cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 T chopped parsely
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing


1 T olive oil
3T fresh squeezed lemon juice

Mix all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl.  In a small bowl slowly wisk the olive oil into the lemon juice.  Add the dressing to the salad and let sit for at least 30 minutes.  Mix again before serving.

Reviews:  8 year old liked it, but did ask "is this squash"?  the 15 year old liked it as well.  Becca loved it.

Tomorrow I'll be grilling whatever squash is left in the fridge.  Tuesday is CSA delivery day and I need to cook what is there. Coming later this week, a grilled squash with cilantro, and a moroccan version that was sent by a blog reader.

Day -12 Squash Slaw

What a treat.  Our good friends Greg and Natalie were coming for dinner.  Greg and I met several years ago.  Originally our friendship was all about the Washington Capitals.  Over time, we've become good friends outside of hockey season as well.   Greg owns a guitar repair shop in Arlington, VA called Metro Guitar Service (www.metroguitar.com).  I was feeling a little embarrassed as Julia's electric guitar needed some TLC, and I had asked Greg to bring his repair kit.  So I wanted to make something really remarkable for them.

Even more important to me was that Natalie was visiting America from the UK.  She has been living in England for the past several years and working for the Royal Shakespeare theatre.  It is a rare and special treat to see Natalie.

So, of course, the big question.....what kind of squash would I prepare for such an event? This question was made even more important by Greg's declaration that "he really doesn't like squash".   I know!  Who doesn't like squash?  So I went with a simple side dish.  It's an asian twist on a summer favorite.  I was planning to grill pork, and what goes better with barbecue than cole slaw?  So here is my take on asian squash slaw.

Asian Squash Slaw

2 large squash (I used 1 zucchini and 1 yellow for color)
1/4 head of red cabbage
3 carrots
2 cups chopped cilantro

1 cup Kraft Lite Asian dressing (I rarely will call out specific products.  Any asian dressing will work, including home made.  In this case, this is exactly what I used)

Chow mein noodles or chopped peanuts

Grate the squash, cabbage and carrots.  Mix with the cilantro.  Toss with dressing and refrigerate.  When you are ready to serve, mix again, place in your serving dish and top with noodles or peanuts.

Reviews:  Everyone loved this.  Even Mr. "I really don't like squash" had seconds.  the 8 year old, who has been refusing all things squash related ate this and enjoyed it.  All in all, very easy and a big hit.

Day 11 − Stuffed squash version 2.0 Sausage Stuffed Squash

I knew it was coming, and yet I did nothing to prepare.  Tuesday is CSA delivery day.  The past weeks have seen incredible boxes.  I expected nothing less this week, as a preview was posted the the Great Country Farm (www.greatcountryfarms.com) CSA members newsletter.  The problem was that I hadn't finished off the squash from last week.  I needed a recipe that would use a LOT of squash.  It couldn't be a side dish, had to be a main course.

And then they came.  2 packed boxes.   I received 20 more squash, along with cucumbers, onions, peaches, plums, APRICOTS!! (if you have never had a tree ripened apricot, they are heaven.  This will likely be the only delivery that has them, and they get hoarded in this house), banana peppers, kale, and of all things….apples.

I desperately needed to use what was left from last week.  Stuffed squash went over very well the last time that I made it, so I thought I would try again.  This recipe takes some prep and cooking time.  It is a little more complex than some that I have posted, but is well worth the effort.

Sausage Stuffed Squash


1 lb good Italian Sausage ( I like the sausage at the GCF farm store. Its organic and antibiotic free)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1T Olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup matzo meal
2 cloves of garlic chopped very fine (or crushed)
freshly ground pepper
1 cup of smoked mozzarella cheese diced (1/4 inch)
6 − 8 large squash - patty pans work really well.  Zucchini and yellow squash are nice too.

For the Stuffing:


Saute the onion in the olive oil until it is well browned.  Once the onion is browned add the garlic and cook for a minute or two more.  Take the onion off the heat and let it cool.  While the onion is cooling, take the sausage out of the skins, and put the sausage into a large bowl.  Add the egg, matzo meal (or breadcrumbs if you prefer), sun dried tomatoes, pepper and cheese.  Add the cooled onion.  Mix very well.  Let the stuffing mix sit while you prepare the squash.

Cut the long squash in half, scoop out the seeds.  Try to leave at least a 1/4 inch border on each one.  If you are fortunate and have patty pans, cut off the top, take a very small slice off the bottom ( so they sit well) and scoop out the inside seeds.  You should have either long boat shaped pieces or round boats shaped pieces.

Fill the boats with the stuffing mix.  Don't press it in too hard, but fill each piece, rounding the tops.

Cook in a 350 degree over for 45-50 minutes.

Reviews:  Everyone loved this.  Even the 8 year old was fooled into eating it.  Good reviews all around.

Day 10 - Pickled Squash? Seriously?

Thank you Great Country Farms (www.greatcountryfarms.com) for helping me get the word out on the many wonderful ways to prepare squash.  Keep the bounty coming so that I can continue to search out new ways to prepare this incredible vegetable (yes, I know that it is technically a fruit).  For those of you actually reading this thing, I will do my best to prepare any recipe you post as a response to any of my posts.  My creativity does have its limits after all.

Despite all of my warnings, we planted 3 cucumber plants this spring.  We are just starting to harvest off of these plants, and the produce, in combination with what comes from the farm has us swimming in cucumbers.  So we have an incredible amount of long, tubular, green vegetables around the house.  So what to do, what to do?   Pickles of course!

Squash actually pickles well.  In the past, I've made a couple of varieties.  I've canned a sweet and hot pickled squash that is a terrific hamburger topping.  This time I decided to make a cold pickle recipe.  This is very easy to make, is really delicious, and will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.  Enjoy!

Pickled  Squash


2-3 cucumbers
2-3 zucchini
1 small onion sliced very thin
3-4 cloves of garlic smashed, but not crushed.
a handful of dill
1 Cup Rice WineVinegar
1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
2 t salt
Water

Peel, seed and quater the cucumber and the squash.  Slice into 1/2 inch slices.

Place the dill and garlic into a plastic container that has a tight fitting top.  Mix the cucumber, dill and onion and add to the container.  Mix the vinegars with the salt.  Add to the cucumbers and squash.  Fill with water.  Put the top on, and put the container into the fridge.  Let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days.

Reviews:  Becca likes it.  The 18 year old gets a pass, she's at camp.  The 8 year old ate the cukes (I'm having trouble tricking her into eating squash).  The now 15 year old liked it.

Next up:  Stuffed Squash version 2.0.

Day 9 - Squash Hash

Trying to think outside the box here….Serving as inspiration: the Hayward Zucchini Festival (www.zucchinifest.org/ ) where you will find an opportunity to sample every kind of squash recipe you can imagine, including squash ice cream.  I haven't tried ice cream yet, but today I did make an attempt at squash for breakfast.

This weeks CSA boxes from Great Country Farms (www.greatcountryfarms.com) contained a real treat, potatoes!  I've found that squash and potatoes go really well together.  So I thought that a squash hash as a breakfast side dish might be a nice change of pace.  This recipe would also make a great, low carb dinner side dish as well.

Squash Hash


1 medium or 2 small zucchini or yellow squash
2 medium potatoes
1 small onion
2T Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper


Wash the squash and potatoes.  Peel the potatoes, slice into 1/4 inch dice.   Heat a heavy bottomed pan. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil then the potato.  While the potatoes are cooking, slice the squash and onions into 1/4 inch dice.  Once the potato has begun to brown, add the onions.  Cook the potato and onion mix until it just starts to brown and add the squash.  Mix well and turn down the heat to medium or medium low.


Let the mix sit so that a nice brown crust forms on the bottom ( the really browned parts are the best part).  Turn the hash once the bottom has browned.  Cook for a few minutes more and serve.


This is really good with eggs and breakfast meats.


Reviews:  Really loved by all.  The 8 year old even ate it.  I think the small pieces fooled her...

Day 8 - Stir Fry

If you happen to be in Hayward, California (in the Bay Area) August 18 and 19, check out the Hayward Zucchini Festival ( http://www.zucchinifest.org/ ).  It looks like a lot of fun, and a great way to celebrate this wonderful vegetable. According to the website, "Adventurous festival attendees can sample the green squash in pasta, quiche, bread, sandwiches, ice cream, pizza, sausage, cakes and more"…hmmm squash ice cream.  I might have to try that…..


Squash is an absolutely wonderful addition to a stir fry.  I've already posted one easy recipe using Teriyaki sauce.  This one uses sesame garlic, and really, almost anything works.  


The CSA boxes from Great Country Farms (www.greatcountryfarms.com ) were full of great ingredients for a stir fry, so I just used what I had.  You can sub in anything fresh from your fridge, or you local farmer's market.


1 medium onion
a nice handful of green beans
smoked tofu (I really like the smoked version, plain extra firm will work too)
2 chicken breasts
a small yellow squash
a small zucchini
garlic to taste
2T vegetable oil 
1 jar of sesame garlic sauce.  I used the Wegman's brand which I like a lot.  Any brand will do, or if you are feeling adventurous, you can make your own.


Slice all of the ingredients into 1/4 inch slices.   Heat your pan and add the oil.  Once the oil is hot, cook the onion for a couple of minutes.  Add the garlic, cook for a couple more minutes and add the chicken.  Once the chicken is mostly cooked through, add the squash and tofu.  Cook for 3 or 4 more minutes.  The squash should be soft but not mushy.  Add the sauce and keep on the heat until everything is warmed through.


Serve with rice (white or brown depending on what you like)


Review:  The wife and teenagers loved it.  The 8 year old at the rice and other veggies, but is still refusing the squash.  I need to figure out a way to hide it on her….

Day 7 - Stuffed version 1 (more to come)

Tuesday is CSA delivery day.  Our boxes from Great Country Farms (www.greatcountryfarms.com) contained 18 squash of four different varieties.  Zucchini, yellow, and two different types of Patty Pans.  In addition to the squash, we got cucumbers, new potatoes, two varieties of peaches, green onions, yellow plums and broccoli.  Just an amazing box for this early in the season.

So yesterday, I did my best to clean out the squash from last weeks delivery that left in the fridge.  Making something plain no doubt would have resulted in lots of leftovers.  So I went with something a little complicated, and different from other things I made this week.  So I went with a stuffed option.  This takes a little while to make, around an hour or so total.  I like Patty Pans for this, they make a sort of individual serving that is kind of fun.

Stuffed Squash

6 or 7 patty pan squash
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground lamb
2 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup ketchup
1 t ground pepper
2 t dried dill (or 2T fresh chopped fine)
1 t dried oregano (or 1 T fresh chopped fine)
1/2 cup chopped onion
3-4 cloves garlic chopped very fine
1 t salt

Cook rice according to directions.   Hollow out the squash by cutting off the pointed end and scooping out the insides so that the squash becomes a bowl.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix meat together.  Add rice and ketchup.  Mix well.  Add all the spices and add to the beef mixture.  Mix well.  Add enough filling to the squash so that it creates a mound.  If using zucchini or yellow squash, slice lengthwise and scoop out the insides so that a boat shape remains.  Fill the squash so that it has a slight mound shape

Cook the stuffed squash for about an hour, or until it is soft and cooked through.

Reviews:  Beeca and the older girls loved it.  The 8 year old ate the stuffing, but is refusing all squash.

Next up….stir fry….

Day 6 - Grilled squash version 2.0

First off all, thank you to everyone who actually reads this thing.  I appreciate all of the recipe suggestions, comments and ideas.   I'll try to do something with all of the suggestions, and if you respond by posting a recipe suggestion, I'll make it and will post reaction from the girls.

This weekend, Becca and I went to Philadelphia to watch the Penn's Landing fireworks.  Some good friends (and readers of this blog) have an apartment with a rooftop deck just a few blocks from where the fireworks display is held.  It is an annual event, and we rarely contribute to the table as it is hard to travel and bring something.

This year was a little different, and with some planning, I was able to bring (what else?) a squash dish.  This dish travelled well, was pretty easy to make, and got great reviews.  I will admit to being a little intimidated, as the caterer is a contestant on the current season of Hell's Kitchen.  Her ribs were absolutely incredible…check out Barbie on the show.

Here is a great preparation for grilled squash:

2-3 large squash cut lengthwise

1 onion

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

8 oz goat cheese  (feta is really good too)

¼ cup good Balsamic vinegar (2T if cutting in half)

½ cup kalamata olives, sliced

Coat the cut side of the squash with the olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place the squash and the onion on the hottest part of your grill, cut side down.  Cook until well browned (even a little black is good).  Turn squash and cook the skin side as well.  Remove from grill and let cool.

Cut the squash into ½ inch slices.  Slice the onion so that it is cut into large squares.  Mix the onion, squash, olives and vinegar together.  Crumble the goat cheese.   Put the squash mix into a large bowl and top with the cheese.

Next up, stuffed squash.  Farmer Mark (www.greatcountryfarms.com) says there is "a lot more" squash coming.

Reviews:  This is Becca's favorite way to have squash.  She was not happy that there was nothing to take home…I will be making this again for her.  None of the girls were around to have any…..