Yellow Summer Squash - 3 recipes

Summer Gold

There is a variety of squash named Gold Summer Crookneck but what I'm meaning here are the bumper crops arriving from now until late summer and from the classic yellow summer squash plants. Regardless of your garden plantings or in my case the farmer markets (this city boy hasn't planted squash since back when I was disrupted by Ray Stevens in the produce aisle) any type of summer squash would do for these recipes: straight or crookneck, globed, the many types of zucchini, even pattypan. Summer squash have a short life as for storage and are picked somewhat green or immature to be wholly eatable. It is important to harvest them in this tender stage before the seeds fully develop and the skin becomes tough. When you purchase them, always pick out ones that are heavy for their size, are shiny and not dull with unblemished skin.

In these recipes I like to use yellow squash as noted, sometimes adding zucchini or green globes for color and the yellow or green pattypan would do well too but would be in my opinion, better suited for the latter recipe, stuffed. The Cajun white cibleme pattypan would be rather bland. Save it for your winter squash type recipes or use it as a filler.

recipes from the past:

Now for today's 3 recipes, enjoy!

Cheesy Squash Casserole

makes 6-8 servings

• 1 1/2 pounds yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
• 2 tablespoon margarine or butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (2 ounces)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter crackers, crushed
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Steam squash and onion over a small amount of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender; drain.
• Over medium heat melt margarine in a saucepan and stir in the flour until blended. Slowly stir in the milk and cook until mixture thickens stirring all while. Remove from heat. Add in cheeses, pepper and salt stirring until cheese forms into a sauce. Add the egg to the squash mixture; toss to coat and stir into the cheese sauce.
• Coat a 1 1/2-quart baking dish, casserole, or soufflé dish with cooking spray. Add the squash mixture and sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown and center is firm.
• Momma’s Squash Casserole
• Her version of Squash Delight
• 1 pound yellow squash
• cooked chopped bacon, if desired
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pimento
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup coarse breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, if desired
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• Wash the squash well and slice. Cook squash in boiling water until tender along with the onion and bacon, drain well. Press out liquid.
• In a large bowl, combine the egg with mayonnaise. Fold in the peppers, salt, sugar, pimento, cheese, and last the squash mixture. Spread into a greased casserole dish. Mix the breadcrumbs, pecans, butter together and sprinkle over the squash mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes until set and topping is brown.
• Yellow Squash Boats with Green Tomato & Corn
• makes 4 boats
• 4 large yellow squash (large pattypan works well too)
• olive oil
• 1 large green tomato, seeded & chopped fine
• 1 /2 cup yellow corn kernels (about 1 ear)
• 1/3 cup pepper jack cheese
• 1/2 cup or more bread crumbs
• 1 small red onion, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• cracked pepper to taste
• chopped pecans if desired

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash the squash well and cut off the end stem cap. Slice off the top (side) of each squash and reserve. Scoop out center to make boats and discard the seeds. Rub oil over the surface of the cut side of each squash and place the boats on a baking pan cut side down. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly before stuffing.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Cook the removed side part of the squash with onion in just enough water to cover until tender, or steam, as I like to do before finely chopping. Drain the squash mixture completely squeezing out excess water and mix with egg, butter, cheese, pepper and crumbs. Stir in the tomatoes and corn. Add more crumbs to bind if mixture is watery. Spoon mixture into boats piling on top. Bake 30 to 40 minutes in oven. Top with the pecans the last few minutes if desired.