Pattypan or Scalloped Squash

Mrs. Turner's Squash Skillet

½ cup Onion -- chopped
½ cup Pepper, Bell -- chopped
2 cup Squash, Patty Pan -- cubed
2 med Tomatoes -- quartered or smaller
2 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Sugar
¼ tsp Pepper, Black
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Flour, Plain

Saute onion and green pepper in butter. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add squash and tomatoes and cook only until tender.

You can tell that this is a truly Southern recipe because sugar is added to vegetables. Sugar is added to everything here, EXCEPT the cornbread. Cornbread, by the way, is the perfect accompaniment to this squash dish. Anyway, if you feel uncomfortable adding sugar to vegetables, don't do it or add less, which is what I do. The squash will still be good.

Here are some other things I know about summer squash. You may substitute any summer squash in any summer squash recipe. There will be subtle taste and consistency issues, but the recipe will not fail or taste terrible. With that in mind here is one of my favorite summer squash recipes. It is good with the patty pan squash. I tried it last year. I copied it from Bay Tables which is a Junior League cookbook of my mother's. See, I'm still not giving any of my recipes. My mother must have been right about me.

Basil Couscous with Summer Squash

2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup couscous
1 cup zucchini -- 1/4" dice
1 cup squash, yellow -- 1/4" dice
1 cup basil -- slivered
1/4 cup Almonds -- toasted and sliced

Bring the chicken stock and 1 tbsp of olive oil to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in salt and couscous. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. Saute the zucchini and yellow squash in the remaining oil. Add vegetables, almonds, and basil to couscous and mix well. Serve immediately.
Or carve out centers of zucchini or squash and steam shells. Fill with couscous. Sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds.

from Twice Bloomed Wisteria

Scuppernong grapes- yummy sweet inside, with a tough, chewy hull.

A little trivia-

It’s North Carolina’s state fruit, it tastes delicious and it’s an emerging nutrition superstar. Native to North Carolina, scuppernong and other muscadine grapes are grown in the backyards of many Eastern North Carolina homes. They are among the richest sources of antioxidants found in nature. Muscadine grapes are a leading food source for a potent cancer-fighting substance called resveratrol. A theory about why resveratrol is protective in humans and animals is that our genes respond to plant defensive chemicals in a beneficial way. Plantings of native muscadine grapes, also known as scuppernongs, are relatively pest resistant and thrive in the hot, sandy conditions of the coastal region. The coastal climate necessitates resistance to disease, viruses, bacteria, pests and mold. The plant’s adaptation to these conditions has developed unique properties that have significant health benefits for those who consume the muscadine grape.

The scuppernong is a greenish, or bronze, variety of muscadine. At first it was simply called the Big White Grape. During the 17th and 18th centuries cuttings of the mother vine were placed into production around Scuppernong, a small town in North Carolina. The name Scuppernong originally comes from an Algonquin Indian name, Ascopo for the sweet bay tree. Ascupernung, meaning place of the Ascopo, appears on early maps of North Carolina as the name of a river in Washington County that runs into the Albemarle Sound. By 1800 the spelling of the river had become Scuppernong. Soon the name of the town and river came to be applied to the grapes grown in the area. In this roundabout fashion, ascopo, the Algonquin word for sweet bay tree became scuppernong, the word for a variety of wild grape.

Here's the best way to enjoy these delicious grapes: Pinch the grape between your fingers, with a firm grip and hold the scuppernong with the blossom end inside your mouth, (the indented side), a little more than halfway in. Push down with your top and bottom teeth. This will pop the pulp out of the skin. Enjoy the sweet, juicy fruit and throw away the seeds and the hull.

Chicken and Shiitake Alfredo

Ingredients
1 share (4 oz) Shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3/4 cup chopped sweet red bell pepper
8 ounces boned and skinned chicken breasts (cutlets), thinly sliced
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup frozen green peas
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces capellini (angel hair) pasta, freshly cooked and drained

Method
Remove stems from Shiitake mushrooms (use in stews, to flavor broths, etc.); cut each cap in half, then into 4 to 6 slices; set aside. In a large skillet melt butter. Add red pepper; cook and stir until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add chicken and reserved mushrooms; cook and stir until chicken is tender, about 3 minutes. Add cream, peas, salt and black pepper; boil, uncovered, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Spoon over pasta; serve immediately.
Yield: 2 to 3 portions about 5 cups

Shiitake and Wine Sauce

Ingredients
1 share (4 oz) Shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method
Remove stems from Shiitake mushrooms (use in stews, to flavor broths, etc.); slice caps; set aside. In a small saucepan melt butter. Add onion; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in vermouth, cream, tarragon, salt and black pepper; bring to a boil; boil until sauce is reduced to 1 cup, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over chicken, fish, veal, and vegetables or in baked potatoes.
Yield: 1 Cup

Spinach & Shiitake Salad with Citrus Dressing

Ingredients
1 share (4 oz) Shiitake mushrooms
6 cups lightly-packed trimmed spinach leaves, torn into in bite-sized pieces
1 cup chopped field or Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method
Trim stem ends of Shiitake Mushrooms; cut mushrooms into thin slices, through the caps and stems. In a large serving bowl place mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes; set aside. In a small bowl whisk together grapefruit juice, oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Just before serving pour over vegetables, tossing gently.
Yield: 4 portions

"We’ve really enjoyed our produce this year from our Produce Box. The chiles went into some yummy chile rellenos and I’ve found new ways to use eggplant.I wanted to pass on an easy recipe I found for the corn and bell peppers. This is great served with chips. You could probably use it on salad, too. The recipe instructions are for using a grill, but I use the broiler in my oven instead. That seems to work fine.

Thanks and have a great weekend!"

Elizabeth B, at SAS


Smoky Corn Salsa
2 red or green bell peppers (use hot peppers for more spice), quartered, seeded
3 ears of fresh corn, husked
1 bunch green onions, trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:
Prepare grill or turn on broiler. Brush bell peppers, corn, and green onions with some olive oil. Grill vegetables untill well charred in spots, turning occasionally with tongs and removing pieces as they brown. 5 minutes for green onion. 10 to 15 minutes for peppers and corn. Cool slightly. Cut bell peppers and green onions into 1/3-inch pieces. Cut corn off cob.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cumin; saute until garlic begins to sizzle but does not brown, about 30 seconds. Pour into large bowl; mix in lime juice and hot sauce. Mix in vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool completely; mix in cilantro.

Serve with chips or on salad.

Wow, Elizabeth- this sounds yummy & easy! ~ Laurie

“Here is a fabulous recipe that we had tonight... yummy and light! I had corn left from last week and a plethora of Roma tomatoes which I used. I also was able to use cilantro from my backyard.” Andrea P, in Raleigh

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
1 cup sour cream
3 ears white corn on the cob
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 cup black beans
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons diced roasted red bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
6 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves, divided
6 ounces Jack cheese, shredded
6 ounces Cheddar, shredded
8 medium flour tortillas (I used the Habanero Lime from Trader Joe's)
5 tablespoons, sliced scallions

Method:
Preheat grill to high. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix diced chipotle, lime juice and sour cream, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Over medium flame or on a grill pan, roast corn. Let cool and cut kernels off cob.
In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil, jalapenos, red onions, and black beans. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, corn kernels and roasted bell pepper. Stir and saute for 3 minutes and add salt, pepper, cumin and 3 tablespoons of cilantro. Remove the pan from heat and let rest.
Evenly distribute mixture, the remaining cilantro and cheeses among 4 tortillas. Top with remaining tortillas.
Place tortillas on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook for about 10 minutes, until cheeses have melted and the quesadillas are warmed through. Cut each into 6 pieces.

Serve with chipotle sour cream garnished with scallions.

Andrea! Sounds delish! Can't wait to try it. :) ~ Laurie