Starting back with something easy: Yellow Squash

My farm share this week included more vegetables that I recognized. That was exciting. I do enjoy experimenting but sometimes I prefer to know what I am working with rather than research it to excess and then make something.

I decided to get back into cooking after vacation by doing simple things. It will be included in the Weekend Herb Blogging Event #44 at Calendula & Concrete . My veggie of choice is Yellow Squash.

Storage: Store unwashed in a plastic bag in the veggie drawer of your fridge. If you get them wet, try to dry them as thoroughly as possible since water causes them to spoil faster. Wash them as needed. They are highly perishable so use them within 2-7 days. The glossier and firmer the skin the longer they will last before you need to cook them. (Maybe some lucky food bloggers that are growing them might be able to keep them longer.) For those of you with more than you can eat or give away, you can freeze them by blanching the sliced squash in boiling water for 2 months or if saving for a nice quick bread or such you can grate it raw and freeze either method up to 4 months.

Uses: small ones can be eaten raw, others can be steamed, blanched, boiled, grilled, roasted, fried or used as a container for stuffing. If blanching or boiling be careful of overcooking which results in soggy squash which is probably only appetizing to a baby who needs it extra soft. If you are cooking the squash in a dish and the dish tends to get watery, lightly salt the squash and place it on absorbent paper towels and rinse before adding to the dish.

Flavor Enhancers: Basil, dill, pepper, marjoram, chives, and mint work well with the mild flavor of yellow squash. Be careful of adding too many herbs and masking the squash entirely. They are paired well with garlic, onions, and tomatoes.

Health notes: They act as a diuretic and because they are high in potassium people with high blood pressure benefit from eating them. Since they are only 20 calories per cup, eat as many as you like.

Safety notes: if you have kidney or gallbladder problems, be careful in the amounts of squash you consume. Also for those taking calcium supplements wait 2-3 hours between taking your pill and eating squash.

Since we were having friends over to enjoy our nice outdoor dinning room, I decided to keep things simple. I sliced up 3 medium yellow squash and sautéed them over high heat. I did not use oil but my pans recommend no oil to limited oil, so you might need to add oil to prevent sticking. I cooked them till the seeds and edges turned a little brown then transferred them to a bowl. Since my herbs have been going wild with all the heat we have been experiencing recently, I cut off some purple basil and variegated oregano. I roughly cut them with my kitchen shears and tossed everything with safflower oil. Since my guests were running late, I stuck it in my oven at its lowest setting and then got just a tad bit softer. All in all a hit. Creamy Crisp slices of squash with just enough flavoring.