Zucchini and Summer Squash Gratin

It's August, aka Month of Abundant Squash, when your garden, CSA box, or fridge produce drawer might be bursting with a bounty of yellow and/or green summer squash. What do you do with the piles of squash in your life? In my experience, zucchini bread has a pretty low squash-to-other-ingredients ratio, so after a loaf or two I'm on the hunt for ways to use up lots of squash.

Enter this recipe for Zucchini and Summer Squash Gratin. Last summer I was visiting my daughter, and her kitchen experienced a sudden influx of squash that needed to be used right away. We were brainstorming ways to use it, and my blogging friend Di suggested via Twitter that we make this gratin. That's what friends are for, right?

n.o.e.'s notes:

- The recipe is from Fine Cooking, and you can find it here. I love that the recipe ingredients are usually in my fridge, so when I have a bunch of squash I can throw this together just as quick as I can slice up the vegetables.

- Although the recipe specifies half green squash and half yellow squash, I tend to use whatever summer squash I have on hand.

- The last time I made the dish, I used a combination of Gruyere and Parmesan cheese, and it turned out beautifully (and deliciously!)


the verdict:

Really, how can you go wrong with summer vegetables plus cheese? I loved this dish, and so did my daughter and her friends. And when I got home, I made it for my husband and other daughter. Neither one of them likes squash one bit so I knew there was a chance that I would be eating the squash dish solo. But they liked it also. This dish has earned a regular spot on our summer dinner table, which is a very good thing, since my farm box is brimming with squash these days!