The Dreaded Time of Year: Squash-pa-looza

[vom_marlowe]

Look, I'm getting desperate over here.  I now have NINE tromboncinos lurking on my damn kitchen table, and this is after I gave away several.  The vines have spread so far that they've climbed over my bean bed, through a tomato patch, and out the other side.  One vine has a runner that is, my hand to god, a good twenty feet long.  It has nearly

Comments

[pameladean]

At least you wanted squash. A friend of mine was in a hurry and picked up a packet of zucchini seeds in mistake for cucumbers. She hates zucchini. I have eaten a lot of the zucchini, and it's very sweet and tender even when she lets the fruits get to the size of one's arm.

I could dig out a recipe for curried squash with coconut milk. It wants yellow summer squash, but I don't see why it wouldn't work with your squash too.

Also, ratatouille; or, stew made with most the vegetables that burgeon right about now.

P.

[chomiji]

Somehow, summer squash always seem to either overproduce wildly or die completely, don't they?

One thing you could try doing is picking them when they're tiny: stores charge a lot for adorable little baby squashes, and it means you'll fit more of of them into a serving.

I tend to be really plain with zucchini and such: slice 'em up and sauté them with garlic is about my speed. And the Mr. doesn't care for them except grilled, so I don't get them that often.

[golden_bastet]

I was going to comment on your apple post about the apple types I'd heard about earlier, and my fig / lemon / blueberry bushes...

and I didn't :-(

But the squashes sound... abundant, LOL.

It may be a little late now, but have you tried fried zucchini flowers?

[lady_ganesh]

Pickling? Relish? I don't have any recipes though. Actually, I think Mom has my great-aunt's zucchini relish recipe somewhere, I could see if I can dig it up.

Alternately, is there a place where you could donate fresh produce to the local food shelf? I know there's that dragon-hoarding instinct but sometimes there's just too fucking much stuff.

Squash-pa-looza Recipes

[vivaine3]

We had that problem last year, but this year the bugs got to them and we haven't had a one. Lots of eggplant tho >D

Squash fritters (croquettes): Mix together 2 cups boiled, mashed squash, 1-1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs, 1/2 cup flour, 1 lightly beaten egg, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup finely diced onion, 1/4 tspn salt and pepper. Add more breadcrumbs and flour just until dough is not sticky. Form into 3" patties and coat with more bread crumbs. In a hot skillet mix 2 tablespoons oil and 2 Tablespoons butter and heat to sizzle. Fry patties until golden brown, adding more oil and butter as needed. This works equally well with summer squash, zucchini or eggplant.

Squash pizza: Clean and slice squash to 1/8" thickness. Steam in microwave for 30 sec to soften slightly. Drain well. Slice 1/4 onion into rings. On a pizza stone or parchment lined sheet pan lay out 1 frozen pie shell. Pinch the edges of the dough into a 1/4" to 1/2" high dam to hold in the goodness. Coat lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle well with Parmesan cheese.