Straight from the Farm

Squash Season Slows

August 17, 2007 at 8:14 am Rachel 4 comments

Well, the squash season is winding down and so I must decide what to do with the remaining yellow and zucchini squash. When the garden first starts I go through a stage of worry the zucchini won’t do well. Then the stage of excitement where I can keep up with all the squash, trying squash in both new and tried and true ways. The third stage is dread of going to the garden–how many will be there this morning?! And now I’m in my final stage of savoring each little bit and trying my favorite recipes one more time til next summer. I even called my parents to see if they had any left in their garden–nope. However, I did find  two yellow squash this morning that were on a plant that had been overshadowed by a much larger plant the past two months that is now past its peak. So maybe a few more to just slice and saute.

But, I used up most of my remaining yellow squash in a way that my son loves–Very Veggie Pizzas. If there is sliced or diced squash on his plate, he sniffs it out and “returns” it to his Daddy or me. But if it’s shredded, it goes right down! This recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law (no, not Jennie) last summer when we were in the third stage of squash season-dread. I’ve made some changes to create individual pizzas which is also helpful to personalize, hiding diced peppers under cheese for son and banana and green pepper rings and tomatoes for Daddy and me. 

VERY VEGGIE PIZZAS

 4 c. shredded yellow squash or zucchini or some combo of the two

1 c. breadcrumbs

2 eggs

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 to 1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

basil and oregano to taste

1 green bell pepper, some slices, some diced

1-2 banana peppers, sliced

1 tomato, thinly sliced

1/2 c. pizza sauce

Shred squash, toss with some salt and place in colander in sink or over bowl to let liquid release. Let rest at least 15 minutes. Squeeze squash to drain off extra liquid. Combine drained squash, breadcrumbs, eggs,  cheddar and parmesan cheese,  1/2 c. mozzarella  cheese, basil and oregano. Mix well. Divide mixture into eighths. Form each portion into an individual “crust.”  Place on parchment paper on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, turn over and use a large spoon to create a small well for crusts that you’ll be topping with pizza sauce. Create pizzas to taste, topping with pepper and tomato slices, pizza sauce, remaining mozzarella cheese, cheese slices, or other toppings of choice.

Return to oven. Increase oven temperature to  375 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes.

Entry filed under: Purely Vegetables, Recipes. Tags: .