By Andy Bedwell
Let’s go from our gardens to our tables. I love to see the medley of vegetables appear at produce markets and roadside stands – baskets of fire-engine red tomatoes, bushels of corn with bright green husks and pods of okra that “snap” when broken. When we see all of these vegetables, we know it’s summer.
Jane’s Squash Casserole
2 cups cooked squash
¾ stick of butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
½ black pepper
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup grated sharp cheese
1 cup evaporated milk
2 cups cracker crumbs
Cook and mash squash. Add other ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased one-quart casserole dish. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.
Andy’s Note: Everyone usually has several squash casserole recipes, but this is the one that I always use. I always double or triple this recipe.
Squash Dressing
3-4 cups cooked squash
2 cups cornbread, crumbled
3 eggs
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon black pepper
Mix all ingredients together. Put in a two-quart casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes on 350 degrees.
Andy’s Note: You must at least double this recipe. It is so good. Let it get a little brown on top.
Onion Pie
1 cup Ritz crackers,
finely crumbled
¼ cup butter
Melt butter and mix with crackers. Press into nine-inch pan
2 cups Vidalia, Texas Sweet or yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
¾ cup milk
¾ teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Paprika
Parsley
Sauté onions in butter until clear. Then spoon into crust. Beat eggs with milk, salt and pepper. Pour over onions. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Andy’s Note: Please try this recipe. I have had two friends that have just recently made this recipe, and they loved it. I will put some pictures of it in the comments.
Tomato Pie
9-inch deep dish pie crust
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and sliced
6 strips bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack or Swiss) grated
1 cup mayonnaise
Bake frozen pie shell five to seven minutes. Place tomato slices in bottom of pie shell and top with crumbled bacon. Combine cheese and mayonnaise. Pour over tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
Andy’s Note: Wait for garden fresh tomatoes to try this. It is good at any meal. My cousin Andy Townsend who lives in Tuscaloosa, absolutely loves this tomato pie.
Happy vegetable cooking, Andy Bedwell
“Southern Cooking with Andy Bedwell” can be purchased at the Messenger on Rainbow Drive in Gadsden.