One of my coworkers set a large plastic bag on the table with a firm thump. “Would you like some squash?”
“I brought more squash!” a choir member announces as he placed the cardboard box of gourds, squash, and zucchini on the floor beside the piano.
DadRed glanced out at bedtime to see if the UPS truck had been by (they tend to leave the box and run). He opened the front door and brought in a plastic grocery bag full of squash and zucchini. And two onions.
Apparently, this cool, wet summer has been as good for squash and their cousins as it has been bad for tomatoes. The lack of heat and direct sunlight really set the tomatoes back, and they just haven’t done a lot. Too much smoke and too many overcast days don’t help tomatoes or cotton. However, the weekly rain and temperatures in the 80s-low 90s seem to have encouraged other things to go forth and multiply. Not just exponentially, no, we’re talking logarithmic increases in produce here. Anyone who goes and buys squash from the grocery store right now? They must have really cheezed off their neighbors.
So it’s time to start with squash-n-onions and go from there.
1 or 2 summer squash (two if they are small) cut into 1/2″ thick rounds, or thinner.
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped or sliced (your preference)
olive oil (I like garlic or basil flavored)
Spices to taste (basil, garlic, marjoram, thyme . . . Rosemary doesn’t do much for me in this context, but you might give it a try)
- Drain the squash slightly by letting it “rest” on paper towels.
- Heat the oil to a slight shimmer.
- Add onion and cook until translucent.
- Add squash and spices.
- Sautee uncovered over medium heat until the squash is tender.
That’s it. Fast, fairly easy, and it takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. You don’t have to drain the squash, but I prefer a firmer vegetable. Tossing it straight into the pan tends to make for softer veggies, as does turning the heat down to low and covering the pan.
Cat Rotator's Quarterly 
New movies from Hammer-in-Stake Films:
Night of the Pattypan
The Zucchini That Wouldn’t Die
The Creeping Vines
Squash With 1000 Gourds
Zucchini vs. Dehydrator
I had a volunteer gourd or squash appear, looked more like a winter squash. That’s the next to try.
Zucchini – now have about 3 pints dehydrated, for soups in the fall and winter.
Everyone plants too much squash at least once.
On the bright side, soup kitchens like donations. (But it’s still traditional to ring the doorbell and run away. Especially if you’re leaving over 100#.) Rectories are also good to target. If the priest doesn’t immediately know where the bounty would be useful, he’s not doing his job. (And the prospect of piles of fresh produce rotting on his front stoop provides incentive in that case! Lo, the Lord works in mysterious ways. Zucchini isn’t quite as effective as a half-crazed Mississippi squirrel, but…)
Zucchini, onion, and tomato (canned, whole tomatoes, or diced tomatoes work). Add garlic, black pepper, season to taste. Cook until tender.Summer goodness!
*jealous*
We’ve had hot and dry, no squash, and the cucumbers taste *terrible*.
Put it into an unlocked pickup truck. Never mind that talking fox. [Crazy Grin]
Yep, tis the season to lock the doors EVERYWHERE… 🙂 I do like squash and onions cooked in fatback though…
Some of us prefer to deliberately leave them open . . .
Run the zucchini through the kitchenaid shredder, freeze in two cup packages. Zucchini bread all winter.
You can turn squash into stuffed squash, just like with most veggies. Rice or breadcrumbs mixed with veggies, cook it in the oven by itself or in the shell of the squash.
If you want a grain free version (or if you have excess spaghetti squash) you can substitute short pieces of the “spaghetti” for the rice or breadcrumbs.
Squash stuff squash!
Squash-ception?