1001 Uses for Squash

We're drowning in squash. A few months ago we decided to get a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscription. What this means is once I week I go pick up a big box of fresh veggies, and some fresh eggs. This has created all sorts of interesting culinary challenges. Mostly, how do two people eat several pounds of vegetables in one week? Here are our main survival tactics:

• Share it- there actually is a limit to the amount of arugula, kale, and okra (there's a very low limit for okra) that we can eat, so we spread the wealth.
• Pork and Cheese - everything can be cooked with some form of pork (bacon, prosciutto, ham) and cheese (feta, parmesan, cheddar).
• Stuff it - it turns out several food types can be adapted to different veggie and herb combinations. We've done crepes, fritatta, pasta, quiche...

This month's challenge is summer squash. Yellow, crookneck, pattypan, and zucchini are overflowing in the fridge, and I've had to find all sorts of interesting ways to use it. Turns out zucchini can be used in chocolate cake, for reals. Turns out it really sucks in chocolate chip cookies. I found some creative ways to use it in other stuff too. For example, if you grate it really fine, and press out most of the water, you can use it in pancakes! Seriously, it's really good. I also grate it coarser and put it in potato pancakes - using about half potatoes and half zuccini (squeezed out in cheese cloth), combined with chopped onion, fresh sage, a couple eggs and some flour. Then I pan fry it until golden and serve with low fat sour cream and smoked salmon. Yummy! Here are a few of my other favorite recipes so far:

Sauteed Baby Squash with Basil and Feta
Shrimp and Squash Penne
Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Stay tuned, next month we'll be swimming in sweet potatoes!