Flying Saucers in the Garden

No, I'm not nuts! Patty pan squash make me giggle. They look a bit like flying saucers and each morning it appears that a few more have landed in my garden. Like other squash, they grow quickly and if you blink, the one you had your eye on has doubled in size.


I've given them to the neighbors, put 'em them, tossed them in stir fry, made zucchini pancakes, and then I had a Seventies flashback and pulled out the 'ole Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen). Unlike other food memories from the 1970s, this recipe for Zucchini-Crusted Pizza does not disappoint:

Preheat oven to 350
3.5 cups grated summer squash (Patty Pan, Zucchini)
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup grated mozzarella (I used goat gouda)
1/2 cup parmesan (I used more goat gouda)
1 Tbsp fresh basil minced
Salt & Pepper

-- Salt the summer squash and let sit for 15 min. Squeeze out all the excess moisture (this is key or you end up in sloggyville).
-- Combine all the ingredients, and spread into an oiled 9x13" baking pan. Bake 20-25 min until surface is dry and firm (I baked it for 35 min). Brush top w/ oil and broil it under moderate heat for five min.
-- Pile on your favorite toppings and then bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cut into squares.