Pattypan Squash! Part Deux

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Worth a shot!

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I don't take well to failure, so when I noticed one of those pattypan squashes had been left over I had to take a second shot at making it into something edible.

Since discovering my local market sells large Israeli couscous, I've been on a bit of a couscous kick. I enjoy most couscous, but the texture of the larger pearls makes them more satisfying than the small couscous sold in the ethnic aisles of large-chain grocery stores. After a bit of careful consideration (I was hungry and didn't want to wait for my chicken to thaw) I decided that the couscous and the squash would work well together. I threw in dried cranberries for tartness and texture, and crossed my fingers.

The resulting pattypan couscous was surprisingly good, containing a bit of dairy and very little fat. It was a light dish that worked well in the summer heat, but I think adding pumpkin or another winter squash to the mix would make it perfect for fall or winter, also.

Don't get me wrong - I still don't condone the use of pattypan squash on humans or primates ... as this is what the pattypan squash looks like when it's oozing whatever ooze it oozes (below).

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Do not eat.

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Still, with the right couscous base it's not totally unappetizing.

If you think I'm kidding about the "not-fit-for-humans" line and want to try a pattypan couscous for yourself, you'll need:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 small onion, diced
  
• 1 cup of Israeli couscous
  
• black pepper
  
• dried rosemary
  
• parsley
  
• garlic salt
  
• touch of cumin
  
• touch of cayenne pepper
  
• 3 tbsp of dried cranberries
  
• 1/2 cup of patty pan squash (Y'all are substituting zucchini)
  
• 2 cups of boiling chicken stock
  
• slivers of Parmesan cheese
  

1. sauté the onion in the olive oil at medium heat until it turns golden
2. add the couscous and toast in the pot
3. add spices, sauté for 1 minute
4. add sliced patty pan squash and cranberries
5. pour the boiling chicken stock over the couscous
6. cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes
7. fluff and serve with slivered Parmesan cheese and cranberries
8. salt to taste

Let me know how it goes, kids! Enjoy!

Summer | Pattypan Squash Sauté Fail

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Only the magic of post-processing makes this look like food.

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A few weeks ago, I picked up a few random summer vegetables from the farm down the road. Among these was something calledpattypan squash, which looked like little yellow UFOs (how darling!) and were rumored to taste just like zucchini.

I visited my online recipe guru on a hunt for zucchini recipes, the closest thing I've encountered to the pattypan squash, finding some instructions for her quick zucchini sauté that seemed simple and fool-proof, requiring only oil, almonds, and julienned zucchini.

I dutifully sliced the pattypan squash, sauteed the almonds in olive oil until they turned golden-brown, and then paused to take in the scene.

It was not a happy scene: an unidentifiable gel was oozing from the squash, resembling the goo that comes off okra or aloe.

The recipe states, "The only two things that matter are that the almonds get brown and toasty in the pan, and that you only cook the zucchini for one minute." ONE MINUTE?! Nuh-uh, sister! Not with that weird goo stuff! I cooked it for at least ten minutes (10:00).

Now, I realize that my "1000% more fire" approach went against the recipe's main tenet, but recipes are meant to be tweaked - especially in in the face of mucky food oozings.

The original recipe also suggested that I could add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to the dish. Faced with the prospect of this dripping yellow disaster, my version NEEDED cheese. Lots of cheese.

Maybe it was the extreme over-cooking. Maybe it was the pattypan squash. Maybe it was me. Whatever the cause, the dish was not pleasant.

Final verdict: don't eat pattypan squash.

Ever.