The Squash Have Blossomed!

My summer squash plants are blooming. These are the seeds I planted back in late March in my big Earth Boxes on the deck. I used big glass jars to keep them covered during all of our cold spells. The plants look happy and have lots of blossoms. I can hardly wait for that good summer squash to start coming in. I went a bit crazy with squash this year after reading Amy Goldman's beautiful book The Compleat Squash. I shared my seeds with my son-in-law. When we divided up the seeds I found I had bought 25 varieties of summer and winter squash.

Here's some squash recipes:

Zucchini Tomato Casserole

Ingredients:
3 medium zucchini, unpeeled, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
basil and oregano, about 1/4 teaspoon each
6 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 2-quart casserole. Arrange zucchini slices in casserole. Top with onion slices, green and red pepper slices, tomato slices, then sprinkle with herbs. Top with cheese. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Serves 6.

Yellow Squash Patties
This is sort of like squash hush puppies. What could be better?

Ingredients:

2 cups grated yellow squash (it would also work with pattypans or zucchini)
1/4 cup self - rising flour
1/3 cup self - rising cornmeal
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 egg, beaten
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Dash Tabasco

PREPARATION:

Mix all ingredients together. Spoon out into hot greased frying pan (I use olive oil). Brown both sides. Drain on paper towel.


The Vidalia onions are making their annual appearance in our stores. I no longer grow onions in my garden. They take up a lot of space, and there are so many good onions in the market that it isn't worth the work. Any sweet onion would work in this recipe. If you can get either White Lily or Martha White self-rising flour do so. There are no better flours for biscuits and muffins. How can you not love a recipe that has Vidalia onions, pecans and Cheddar cheese? It's making me hungry just to type out the recipe.

Vidalia Onion Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 cup self-rising flour (Use White Lily or Martha White if you can get it)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onion
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped pecans


In a large mixing bowl whisk together the egg, oil and milk; add self-rising flour, rolled oats, and the sugar. Stir batter just until mixture is blended. Gently old in the onion, shredded cheese, and pecans; spoon the mixture into 36 small buttered and floured 1/8-cup muffin cups (gem, or miniature muffin tins). Bake the muffins in the middle of a preheated 400° oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Turn the muffins out onto racks and serve them warm or at room temperature.
Makes 36 miniature muffins.