Squash, squash, and more squash!!

What's a mom to do when her squash garden goes crazy and the kids dispise the taste of it? GET CREATIVE!!!

This post will explore squash recipes both old and new. Some from the interwebs, some will be my own. I will be posting at least one of these a day, complete with pictures and our reviews. Including what I actually got angle baby and monkey man to eat!

How about curry roasted squash soup, roasted squash soup with pesto, tomato basil & squash soup, squash chili, stuffed squash, eggs and squash, squash lasagna, squash fritters, chocolate squash bread, and squash cake.


The first is roasted squash soup with pesto courtesy of the awesome blog "Chocolate & Zucchini!

This is an old stand by and I love it! The kids even love it! It freezes very well and its super easy. I multiple this recipe by about 5 and I am not precise on amounts. Thats the best part about this recipe, its easy to adapt and make it your own.

Overall we all rate this as a 5/5 (even the kiddos)
That is what I call a winning recipe

For the soup:
- 2 shallots (I used walla walla onion)
- 1 pattypan squash, about 23 cm (9″) in diameter
- 1 liter (1 quart) chicken or vegetable stock, homemade if you have it
- salt, pepper
- olive oil

For the pesto*:
- 50 grams (about 2 1/2 cups) basil leaves
- 50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) ricotta salata (or parmesan, or pecorino)
- 25 grams (3/4 ounce) pine nuts, toasted
- salt, pepper
- olive oil

Serves 4 to 6.

Peel and mince the shallots. Remove the stem end and bottom button of the pattypan squash (no need to peel it). Quarter it, and cut it in chunks then slices. Put the stock in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Add the shallots and a sprinkle of salt, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until softened, stirring regularly to avoid coloring.

Add the pattypan squash, sprinkle with salt, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the simmering stock, plus any boiling water necessary to completely cover the vegetables. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the squash is very soft.

While the soup is simmering, prepare the pesto. In a blender or food processor (you can also work by hand in a mortar if you prefer), combine the basil, cheese and pine nuts. Add a good pinch of salt, some pepper, and a generous drizzle of olive oil, and pulse until smooth. Add more olive oil if necessary for the pesto to come together.

Remove the soup from the heat, put on an apron, and whizz the soup with a stick blender (or in batches in a regular blender) until completely smooth.

Serve hot, but not too hot, sprinkled with freshly ground pepper, with pesto on the side for each diner to add a spoonful to his bowl.

* The recipe makes more pesto than you’ll need for this soup; I doubt that will be a problem.

Cooking/baking time: 20 min