I told Sally that I’d be providing the “Manly Produce Perspective” on the blog since I’m one of the two male VACs (Volunteer Area Coordinators). I do love to cook but I have to admit that before I met my awesome wife, who happens to be an incredible cook, I like many men used cooking as a way to impress. I suppose I still do.
One of the most memorable occasions that comes to mind was when a fraternity brother and I got it in our heads to cook dinner prior to the University of Utah’s homecoming dance that year. Originally it was just going to be for a few of our fraternity brothers and their dates but rather unexpectedly it turned into a fully fledged night of catering for us. This recipe was used on that occasion. Later I was “hired” by one of my sisters to prepare it as part of a dinner prior to a high school girl’s preference dance for her and her friends and their dates. I mention all of this because what I love about this recipe is that it is simple to make but has a sort of fancy restaurant feel to it. It goes great with grilled salmon though this last week I had it simply with grilled burgers. Enough of the reminiscing and intro, here is the recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 -3 Summer Squash (Zuchinni, Yellow Squash, Grey Squash or ideally a combo)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 can sliced or diced stewed tomatoes, regular or italian style
- 1/3 cup grated mozzarella or parmesan cheese (though I've used jack and cheddar with equal success)
Instructions
- Slice the squash into roughly 1/4 inch thick round slices. My mom always called them "dollars" (as in silver dollars) to get us to eat them as kids. Then chop the 0nion into small pieces. Put both into a skillet with a small amount of olive or canola oil and begin to sautee the veggies. I generally season the squash with a few generous shakes of garlic powder and seasoning salt. I never measure my seasonings, I just try to make sure each piece of squash gets some.
- You'll want to flip the squash pieces so that each side gets browned. Once the squash is browned and beginning to look soft and cooked add the can of stewed tomatoes. You don't need to drain them. Turn the heat down a bit and allow the whole thing to simmer. You want to slowly cook some of the liquid out and let the flavors meld. I usually give it around 8 minutes or so. I frequently get distracted preparing another part of the meal though and it is safe to leave it longer. Prior to serving you want to sprinkle the cheese on top and give it time to melt.
- The quantities I've listed are what I used when I recently made it for my wife and two young kids. It fed us and gave me left overs for work. It is really good the next day and I love taking it left over. Just add more squash and potentially another can of tomatoes and more cheese if you are feeding a larger crowd.
