Sunday Dinner: Plantation Squash

There is a running joke among home gardeners who try to give each other their yellow summer squash. If you don’t have a generous squash-growing neighbor, you can get squash at almost any farmers’ market or supermarket during summer and throughout the year at the latter.

And that’s a good thing.

The yellow summer (crook neck) squash is low in calories. A half cup of these yellow squash slices is only 18 calories — about the same as green beans, but less than tomatoes. Its cousin, the zucchini, when thinly sliced is only 9 calories per half cup.

Not only are they inexpensive and low in calories, yellow squash can be prepared in many ways and fit well with almost any menu. They can be boiled, fried, baked and pickled. They can be mixed with cheese and onion and made into patties, and what cook doesn’t have a recipe for a squash casserole? These summer squash are adaptable to many menus — a good thing for the home gardener who has a lot of them.

I have two recipes to share: The first is for Squash Pickles, and is one you can enjoy all winter. The second serves 12, allowing two halves per serving. If you don’t need that much, the recipe can be halved easily. You can also make it the day before omitting the topping and refrigerate. When needed, add the topping, cover with foil, and bake just in time to serve for … Sunday Dinner.

Squash Pickles

8 cups sliced yellow squash
2 cups sliced onion
1 tablespoon pickling salt
3½ cups sugar
1 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cups cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed

Use small squash, slicing them into a glass or ceramic bowl with the onion. Sprinkle with the salt and let stand for one hour.

Meanwhile, heat and have waiting six pint jars with the lids and rings.

In a cooking pot, combine the sugar, vinegar, pepper, celery seed and mustard seed. Bring to a boil.

Drain the squash and onions and pack into the jars. Cover with the hot vinegar solution, leaving a ¼-inch head space. Seal with the rings and lids. Process in a boiling water bath, which covers the jars for 15 minutes. Remove from water and cool. Makes 6 pints.

Plantation Squash

12 medium-sized yellow squash, washed
1 16-ounce package frozen spinach
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, beaten
6 tablespoons melted butter
1½ tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon onion salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup round buttery cracker crumbs
Paprika to taste
½ to 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

Heat water to boiling, drop in squash, cover and simmer 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain water, cut off stems, cool slightly, then cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp to leave a shell and place pulp in bowl. Mash the pulp until no large pieces remain.

Cook the spinach according to package directions. Drain and add to the squash pulp, mixing well. Stir in the softened cream cheese, then the beaten eggs, butter, sugar, seasoned salt, onion salt and black pepper, mixing well.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place the squash halves on a lightly greased baking sheet and fill each half with the spinach mixture. Combine the cooked bacon, paprika and cracker crumbs, and sprinkle on top of each squash half. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes until well heated. Makes 12 servings of two halves for each serving.

Have a recipe? sundaydinner@baptistcourier.com

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