So how about using summer squash?

[Ruby Reason]

Everyone was so helpful with kale...we tried a new summer squash we've not planted before, Zephyr (spelling?). We have eaten one raw, yummy. Like your basic yellow squash, or perhaps a zucchini, but pretty, half yellow half green. Anyway, it looks like we are going to have a bumper crop of the things! What great favorite recipes does everyone have?

[Denninmi]

1. Mine is really simple.

Slice thinly, say 1/4 to half inch thick. Shake in a bag of seasoned flour or seasoned baking mix (Bisquick). Arrange in a single layer on a foil lined, greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 to 400 degrees until browned, flipping over once or twice. They get a little bit more crispy if you spray them with a little mist of oil from a spray bottle.

This uses an amazing amount of squash since they shrink so much. They come out much like fried squash but without the extra grease.

You can also use them IN or ON things after you cook them this way -- layer them into lasagna, put them on top of a pizza, etc.

[Warpy]

2. I love summer squash as is, just sliced, sauteed in a little butter, salt and pepper

When I've had a bumper crop, I've also quartered it and sliced it thickly for use in a marinara sauce over pasta or grated it to use in recipes for zucchini breads and cakes.

Summer squashes mostly have to be used in their immature form or they get woody and weird. The exception is pattypan squash, a real find for the garden. The tiny ones can be sauteed or steamed an eaten whole, a little larger and they can be quartered and used, and if they get huge, they can be peeled and used like a winter squash.

The above breaded and baked recipe looks really good, too. I'll have to try that one when it gets a bit cooler or windless enough to use the solar oven.

[Ruby Reason]

8. One of our favorites is patty pan squash. We just decided to do something different this year.

[grasswire]

3. we like a casserole, particularly

slice 8 medium summer squash, blanch in salted boiling water
saute a diced onion and bell pepper in a bit of butter
mix a cup of mayo with a cup of grated parmesan cheese
mix squash, onion/pepper, mayo-cheese mixture

turn mixture into a casserole
top with buttered ritz cracker crumbs

bake until bubbly and savory

[grasswire]

4. I use zucchini along with eggplant in parm dish

Slice it the long way, and layer with eggplant slices, marinara, cheeses, garlic, herbs.

[GoCubsGo]

5. Shave it into thin strips with a vegetable peeler.

Then saute it in olive oil with some garlic. Just before it's done, toss in some chopped walnuts and cook a little longer. Add some chopped basil and sprinkle with your favorite grated or shredded sharp Italian cheese or feta.

They're also great grilled. Slice lengthwise, about a quarter inch thick. Brush with oil and sprinkle with the seasonings of your choice. Grill on a well-oiled grill grate.

And, there are loads of zucchini bread and cake recipes out there. I highly recommend searching "zucchini chocolate cake". If you can't find one, let me know, and I'll post the recipe I have.

[Lucinda]

10. This. Definitely.

I love them shaved thin and sauteed. ?

You can also use them as lasagna noodle substitutes this way.

[murpheeslaw]

12. Second kudo for Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Our plants have about died back now but we were almost to the "sneaking over to the neighbors house and dropping them on the doorstep" stage. They would go from hot dog sized to Pele's calf over night.

When they get to big to use whole: split and de-seed them and slice the flesh/rind 1/8" to make "noodles" (I have a mandolin). I have sauteed them with a little olive oil spray and added a scoop of spaghetti sauce at the end. You can salt them let them drip/rinse and use them like cucumber in salads.

Cubed it, steamed it, then made zucchini pie (spiced like apple but needed a little more lemon to really zing).

I have found you can compress one 2-pound zucchini into a 13" x 9" cake if you de-seed it, grate it into a tea towel, and wring as much water out of it as your 17 year old can. It reduces down to about 16 oz of solids.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 9" X 13" or bundt pan (seems to stick more in the bundt so maybe use a spray release on that)

Pull 4 large eggs out of refrigerator and place in bowl of hot water to warm up.

Place 1 C of canola oil in a micro wave safe bowl or measuring cup and drop in two squares unsweetened baking chocolate. Nuke one minute let rest and stir gently. If chocolate is not melted completely nuke another 30 seconds. (YMMV) Let cool while you prepare the rest of the cake mix.

De-seed and grate one 2lb zucchini (or any squash) into a tea towel and wring dry over sink.

In large bowl sift together:

3C of all purpose flour
1/4 C cocoa powder
2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t dry coffee crystals
1 t cinnamon
3/4 t salt (scant teaspoon)
pinch of cayenne pepper
STIR UNTIL well combined

In a separate bowl:

Lightly beat the 4 room temperature eggs

Beat in:

The Oil/Chocolate mixture

Then, beat in:

1/2 C buttermilk

Stir in zucchini until well moistened

Fold the wet mixture into the dry, gently until just combined.
Pour/scrape into your prepared pan. Drop once on counter and let rest 5 minutes or so to let the buttermilk and soda start doing their thing.

Bake 55 min to 1 hr + until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool then frost if you wish.

REALLY good w/Cream cheese frosting: Beat together 4 oz cream cheese, 1/2 stick butter, pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla and a scant 2 C powdered sugar.

I have been making this since late May (a lot).

[Le Taz Hot]

6. I have a couple for you

A quick-cook recipe I've been using for years is slice the zucchini/yellow squash into 1/4-inch slices. Steam until tender/firm. Empty steamed squash into a bowl and add a little butter, salt, pepper and parmesian cheese.

A more time-consuming but DE-licious recipe I've been using this summer is this one:

Zucchini Quiche (Note: this recipe can be used with virtually any veggie.)

1 lb zucchini, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp butter
1 pie shell (9 inches), baked
1-1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup half and half cream
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Dash pepper
Paprika

Preheat over to 375 degrees F

1. In a small skillet, saute zucchini in butter until tender, drain. Place half the zucchini on the crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, cream eggs, salt, oregano, basil, garlic powder and pepper. Pour into crust. Arrange remaining zucchini slices over top. Sprinkle with paprika.

3. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. Zephyr is a crazy good producer.

I made a sort of lasagna with it the other day:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1157&pid=11938

If you have a grill, Zephyr is excellent when grilled. For medium to large size squash, slice them the long way into planks that are about 1/2 inch thick. Start by slicing a small section of skin from the center of the squash and turn it so that the cut side is down. This helps stabilize the squash so that you can slice it without worrying about it rolling around. For small squash, just split them in half lengthwise.

Lightly coat the slices with oil either by brushing it each slice individually or by tossing all of the slices in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Line up the slices on the a medium hot grill. Close the lid and wait for about two minutes, then check to see if the grill marks have developed. Once there are nice grill marks, turn the slices and grill the second side. The second side will cook faster than the first side.

Leftover grilled squash is good in quesadillas -- dice it and mix with other fillings such as tomatoes, corn, cilantro. Steamed squash is also good this way but it tends to be a bit wetter.

Summer squash is good for refrigerator pickles too.
I make the Village Pub recipe at this link:
http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/82458.aspx

[Ruby Reason]

9. Hey, hey! I knew I could count on you for help. Thank you.

Keep the ideas coming. I've got a squash or two to harvest tomorrow. To heck with the leftovers I'd planned, I'm going to do something fun with my zephyrs. Thank you.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Well, when the charcoal grill is fired up, I like to...

either make kabobs or I have one of these...



and I stir fry them over the coals with the other veggies.

[pinto]

13. I like it with olive oil, grilled real quick or baked in chicken cacciatore.

Or in any baked casserole type dish.

[HopeHoops]

14. I like it raw.

[Retrograde]

15. Zucchini slaw, and stuffed squash blossoms

For the slaw, grate it coarsely and mix with oil and vinegar to taste. The flowers are edible (and eating them prevents the plants from over-producing): I dip them in a flour/cornstarch batter and fry until golden, sometimes stuffing them with cheese.

Grated zucchini can be added to breads and cakes to keep them moist - and the taste doesn't come through. Saute and use in vegetarian tacos or burritos, or grill on skewers with onions, eggplant slices and mushrooms.

[Aerows]

17. That sounds delicious

:wipes away drool:

Retrograde, you clearly know how to make a hell of a salad

[Aerows]

16. My favorite use for squash is to make soup

hearty, delicious, with good bread, it is delicious.

I'd love to see some squash soup recipes, I can share mine, too

[csziggy]

18. I like summer squash/zucchini with rice

Rice with Summer Squash

Ingredients

1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup broth
1/3 cup uncooked brown rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped

Directions

In a saucepan coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook carrots, garlic and onion in butter until tender. Stir in the broth, rice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 13 minutes.
Stir in the yellow squash and zucchini. Cover and simmer 6-10 minutes longer or until rice and vegetables are tender.

I find it's a great way to get more vegetables in my diet. It makes a nice side dish with nearly everything.

[Ruby Reason]

19. Great Ideas! We picked a few more yesterday...

and because my oldest wanted lasagna I made a summer squash, spinach one. Turned out nicely, at least I ate too much of it.

Can't decide which recipe to try tonight. I have some potatoes I may work into the meal also.

[noamnety]

20. dried zucchini chips

throw them on a dehydrator (you can get them cheap at thrift shops usually).

Dry them until crispy like a potato chip. A lot of zucchini shrinks to nothing like this and they keep really well in a small space.
You can either rehydrate them into soups throughout the year or just eat them as snacks.

Before you dry them, you can salt and pepper them, or brush with lime juice and chili powder, or soy sauce, or balsamic vinegar, or whatever other flavors appeal to you.

[AtomicKitten]

21. I love grilled zucchini, green and yellow.

Slice the zucchini lengthwise, marinate in Teriyaki or other type marinade, and grill.
Makes a yummy sandwich.