Garrison Keillor once said that July is the only time of year when country people lock their cars in the church parking lot, so people won’t leave squash on the front seat. If you have ever lived in the country, done any summer gardening, or even attended church in the rural South as I have, you know that Keillor’s statement is all too true.
I found this recipe in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Cooking Fresh magazine (p. 58) and it is the cure-all for the ridiculous amounts of summer squash and zucchini being left in your car, tossed in your mailbox, snuck inside your front door, and even the extra squash rotting on your plant because you didn’t have the heart to harvest it and turn it into someone else’s problem.
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If you’re sick of eating sauteéd yellow squash and zucchini six nights of the week like I am, may I present a new, fresh, unique way to eat copious amounts of squash without feeling overwhelmed. This filling, yet somewhat delicate creation, is eggy and oniony and delicious. It almost makes you forget that you’re eating squash at all, which is delightful for us folk who don’t really fancy squash in the first place, or are just burnt out from eating it every day.
This Summer Squash Bake is one of those versatile, easy-peasy recipes that doubles as a hot dinner, and as a cold lunch from leftovers. And for someone like me who’s always on the go, this recipe has definitely become a summertime staple.
Summer Squash Bake
(from page 58 of Cooking Fresh with The Old Farmer’s Almanac)
Ingredients:
3 pounds yellow squash or zucchini, sliced
½ cup chopped onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and divided
1 cup bread crumbs
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Preheat the oven to 375°F
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In a saucepan over medium-high heat, boil or steam the squash for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, then return the squash to the pan and mash it.
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Add the onion, eggs, sugar, salt, pepper, and half of the melted butter to the squash. Stir to incorporate.
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Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole.
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In a small bowl, drizzle the remaining butter on the bread crumbs and toss to coat.
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Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the squash and bake for 45 minutes.
Makes 6 servings (or 4 if you’re really hungry!)
This can also be prepared a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it.
HAPPY EATING!
Want more great recipes? Pick up your copy of Cooking Fresh with The Old Farmer’s Almanac!
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30 or so years ago I started using up garden excess in a very similar way which became a family staple called Summer Garden Casserole. It differed in that it also had layers of sliced tomatoes & a little shredded swiss cheese--and some years a sprinkling of corn! Summer squash really lends itself to this sort of casserole, I guess!
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