Vidalia onions, okra, vine ripe tomatoes and green beans, freshly shucked corn, butter beans, southern peas and sweet bell peppers, yellow crookneck squash, zucchini and garden-fresh cucumbers.
I just love the veggies of summer.
Have you gotten your fill yet?
Now... to be honest, we southerners don't stop enjoying our hearty casseroles, chicken and dumplings, pot pies, roasts, beans or even soups and gumbo, just because Mother Nature calls up scorching summer heat.
I know. We're a bit crazy like that.
But it's these beautiful summer vegetables at their flavor peak right now that really draw many of us in, and I try to find as many ways to enjoy them as I possibly can before summer is gone.
In fact, it is not at all unusual that we make a complete meal out of nothing but garden vegetables - with a little
sweet tea
and
cornbread
on the side, of course.
Since The Cajun doesn't have the same love of vegetables that I do, this is pretty much a main dish meal for me. To be perfectly honest, that works out just fine because with fresh summer squash, sweet Vidalia onions, garden fresh tomatoes and sweet bell pepper, it is right at the top of my favorites.
Here's what you'll need to make my Squash Creole:
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 cup of chopped Vidalia onion
- 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
- 2-1/2 pounds of summer squash, sliced or chopped
- 3 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
- Cajun seasoning, to taste, optional
- 1 cup of shredded cheese
- 1 tablespoon of butter, melted
- 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs
Hre's how to make it!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 1-1/2 quart baking dish and set aside.
Chop or slice the squash.
Peel three nice sized tomatoes. A soft skin peeler (#ad) makes a super easy job of it and no more boiling!
Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet.
Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the squash and cook until it begins to soften.
Get those tomatoes all chopped up. You can do that right in the bowl with a good pair of kitchen shears (#ad).
Add the tomatoes, sugar, flour, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning to the squash.
Toss to blend.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs
Distribute cheese and crumbs evenly on top.
It's a wonderful side dish, very simple to make, and one that really highlights the overflowing bounty of fresh squash and tomatoes available right now. Frankly, you may want to double it because it only tastes better the next day.
This dish is equally delicious when made with cabbage. You'll need about 5 cups of rough chopped cabbage but let it cook down just a tad bit longer - about 10 minutes - before adding the tomatoes and remaining ingredients.
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