Squashed for Time

A last minute thought for those who’ve been tasked with bringing a dish to the Thanksgiving feast, you can bring the third iteration of green bean casserole, always a party favorite, or be daring and bring something original – squash. Very likely served in some form or other at the original Thanksgiving bash, squash has been a staple in the Americas since first domesticated around 5000BCE. There are many varieties to choose from, all delicious and yet good for the body as well.

This simple stir fry calls for 2 zucchini, 2 yellow squash, 1 chayote (ties to the valley as the newsies like to say), 1 cup crimini mushrooms, 1 coarsely chopped red bell pepper, 1 small quartered red onion, 1 Tbs chiffonade of fresh basil, ¼ cup unsalted cashew, and 1 TBS olive oil – salt and pepper to taste. If you want to add a twist to this you can add some cubed smoked sausage to the mix as well. Quarter and cube the squash so the pieces are relatively uniform. Heat wok (medium heat) or steep sided pan, add oil, toss in all ingredients and lightly stir fry. I prefer to have the squash crunchy, so there’s no need to fry the life out of it, just heat it through. Squash comes from an Indian word meaning “Green thing eaten raw", so you don’t have to beat it to death. Serve hot out of the wok, or re-warm prior to serving at the party.

This side is quick, easy, serves up to eight and won’t be lost among the humdrum green bean/fried onion crowd on the vegetable table…