Yellow Squash, Green Squash, Pickled Squash, Yum

Dear Friends,

I am buried in squash. Remember when I said if I miss more than a day, monster squash appear in my garden. Well, now I am out there twice a day picking. And what do I do with all this squash? Some I give away, some I recycle, and most I use. As a seasonal eater, I center my meals around what I harvest at the moment. It keeps me quite creative and happy. Here are a few of the recipes I did this week. I am saving a very special recipe for a post this weekend. It came from my good friend Marie, an absolutely amazing cook. Stay tuned but until then enjoy these delights.

Keep squashing, 

Jude 

   Pickled Zucchini and Cukes - simple way to enjoy the bounty

These you put right in your freezer and my husband loves pickles. No hot packing here. This is so easy, I have it to memory. 

Slice your cukes and zucchs thin. Combine them with thinly sliced onion in a bowl and add 11/2 tsp salt. Let set for several hours and then drain but do not rinse.

In a non reactive  saucepan, combine 11/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2cup sugar, 1tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp celery seed, and 1/4tsp black pepper.  Heat to dissolve sugar then pour over zuccs and cukes and onion mixture. Pack the veggies and brine into containers for freezer. Should be used within 6 months. Can defrost in refrigerator. 

My husband likes to mix these with a bit of mayo for a delicious tartar sauce for fish.

Pesto Angel Hair with Yellow Summer Squash 

Cut squash into small pieces, set in a colander with a tsp of salt mixed in and drain for fifteen minutes. Then heat olive oil in saute pan and when oil is hot, toss in squash and cook until browned over med heat.

Toast sliced almonds or pine nuts until lightly browned

Boil water for angel hair pasta. Cook according to directions. When you drain save about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the water.

Make pesto ahead of time, maybe a day or two like me. Gives me several meals and saves time. Here is a link for a good recipe. 

    pesto









Assembly

Put angel hair in bowl, mix in pesto and 1/4 cup of saved water, top with squash, sprinkle with black pepper, top with almonds. Do not mix it together, serve it layered. A much nicer presentation.

 I served this with flounder, sliced heirloom tomatoes, and Parmesan breaded zucchini baked in a very hot oven ( 425) for fifteen minutes. My husband had the pickles. WOW this meal was quick and good.