Squash Parmesan

It's that time of year when we have squash covering every flat surface of the house! OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, but we do have a lot of squash! We love to grill it with a little olive oil and salt, sautee it with butter and onions, and slice it up in a rich casserole.

We're always on the look out for creative things to do with it, and this weekend I came up with a new plan - squash parmesan. I sliced it up, dipped each slice in egg, rolled it in finely crushed cracker crumbs, and fried it up in some olive oil. I then placed it in a loaf pan and covered it with tomato sauce (canned up from last year's tomato haul) and baked for 20 minutes at 350. I think it turned out quite yummy! It would have been better with some mozzarella cheese, but we didn't have any.



Summer squash is an excellent choice for any diet. It's rich in many essential vitamins and fiber and is low in all the bad stuff; fat, cholesterol, etc. I guess "frying" it doesn't really add to the nutritional value, but olive oil is a good choice when you do decide to make it sizzle.

When you select squash from the farmer's market or grocer, don't be put off by the "scratches" in the rind. Squash are really delicate and easily scratched by sticks, soil and even the stalks of the plant itself. Just because it's scarred a bit doesn't mean it's been abused. Look for firm fruit with no signs of bruising. Soft, limp fruit has started to go bad and will not be all that tasty.