Squash Delight

Dear Friends in Christ -

In our garden, the zucchini, yellow squash and pattypan squash are all growing faster than we can eat them, so we've started to share them with friends. (If you need some, give me a call, and I'll cut some off the vine for you!)

I do this sharing with a bit of a sigh and a chuckle. True confessions: over the years, many people have often offered to give me free zucchini and squash - and I've often either declined it altogether or taken it home and watched it go bad in the refrigerator.

So I feel it's only fair offer not only the produce, but also an idea of a tasty way to eat it. Let's face it, we've all eaten a lot of bad vegetable dishes in our lives. Sometimes the squash or zucchini goes uneaten because we can't think of a quick, yummy way to prepare it. So . . . . along with the free squash, here's my version of baked squash. Warning: I cook like my grandmother, so amounts aren't measured! (Trust yourself! You'll know how much to put in!)

BAKED ZUCCHINI/SQUASH

Preheat oven to 350 degrees or preheat grill
Wash squash or zucchini and cut it down the middle length-wise
Scoop out the seeds and enough of the flesh of the squash to make a trough
Set aside

In a skillet, saute on low enough of the following to fill the trough in the zucchini:
diced onion
diced red pepper
diced mushrooms
diced garlic
leftover cooked rice or the flesh of the squash, diced fine
salt
pepper
a few finely chopped basil leaves
Saute until onions are translucent and red pepper is soft

Place stuffing in a bowl and stir in crumbled feta cheese or crumbled chevre cheese

Place zucchini on a baking sheet
Rub it with a bit of butter and lightly salt it
Place stuffing in zucchini troughs (if it spills over a little, that's OK)
Bake in oven for about 30 minutes or until zucchini is soft and stuffing mixture is browned

Eat warm in large quantities as a main dish or in small quantities as a side dish with a chicken or fish entree

Bon appetit!
Blessings,
Janet+

PS - Watch for an article this week here on this blog . . . Lesson #19 - "What to do with mannna"