Recipe: Summer Squashage
Story by Kaynan Goldberg. Kaynan is CaryCitizen’s 12-year-old columnist on all things frugal, crunchy, healthy and green. She blogs at VeggiesGoCrunch. Photo by Steve Minor.
Cary, NC – Sometimes in summer, it feels like all they sell at the farmers’ markets (and/or all you can grow in your garden) is summer squash and zucchini.
Of course, it’s amazing at first. Squash is a refreshing change from all the greens you got during the winter, and the first veggies of the season are always great. However, once the novelty wears off, what are you supposed to do with all that summer squash?
Well, you can grill it, you can sauté it, and you can freeze it. You can use some of your favorite squash recipes, and then… you’re left with a big pile of squash, and no idea what to do with it.
Except maybe try this recipe that my family loves.
Recipe: Squashage (serves a family of five easily)
My dad made up this recipe – even the name. It’s a great summer dish, or a winter one, if you froze some of your squash.
For a vegetarian meal, skip the pork, and use up even more of that summer squash!
Ingredients
- Three average-sized yellow squashes
- Three average-sized zucchinis
- 1 medium onion, red, yellow, or sweet – your choice – chopped
- 1 red pepper – cubed
- 1 yellow or orange pepper – cubed
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage or ground pork
- 1 t. garlic powder
- 1 t. salt
- 1 t. black pepper
- 1 T. oregano
- 1 T. dried basil
- Mozzarella cheese – as much or as little as you like – grated
- Parmesan cheese – as much or as little as you like – grated
- Chopped parsley (to sprinkle on top)
Cooking Directions
Sauté your veggies in a pan. In another pan, brown your meat.
Add seasonings and spices to both pans if you’re using plain ground pork. If you’re using Italian sausage, you only have to add seasonings to the veggies.
When the meat is browned and delicious, add it to the veggie pan and mix it all up. Put about half of the mixture into a deep 8×8 pan. Put half of the mozzarella cheese on top, add the other half of the meat and veggies, and put the last layer of mozzarella cheese over that. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and parsley and bake in a 350° F oven until the cheese is brown and bubbly.
Serve, eat, and enjoy!
By the way, if you have a good summer squash recipe, share it! I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that you can never have enough squash recipes.
