Sizzling Summer Squash

This recipe is brought to you by my first experience with Bountiful Baskets and a long-standing request for more ideas on how to use powdered parmesan in recipes.

Of course, we have to begin with back story. I have to say, that when it comes to parmesan, romano and other hard Italian cheeses, some people might call us snobs. I prefer connoisseurs. Or, you could call us purists. Snob just sounds so harsh.

A few years ago, we hosted a cooking class in our home and taught a crowd of women how to make pasta from scratch with several sauces besides. Brennan, our oldest, is a local legend for his famous alfredo, in which he uses heavy cream, butter and the best pecorino romano we can get - from Costco.  When one of our guests asked him, "So, can we just use something like powdered parmesan?" He wrinkled his nose, shook his head and said, "Why would you use that when a hunk of pecorino romano is the same price and it tastes WAY better.”

I think he was 12 at the time. And, he was right. Costco and other specialty stores have great prices on fresh hard cheeses. Additionally, hard cheeses still in their wedge last a LONG time in the fridge. But, not everyone can get to Costco, or wants to grate their own every time they need it. And, sometimes all you may have on hand is powdered parmesan. Well, no shame in that, and actually, there is a lot you can do with it. So, stick with me and I’ll give you a great recipe you’ll want to try as soon as you can.

On Saturday we got our first Basket o’ Bounty (see the link if you are still wondering what this is) and it was full of great stuff for $15. On the veggie side we got potatoes, onions, celery, yams and summer squash. For fruits we got a little gem case of huge blackberries, 5 kiwi, a bag of apples, 2 pounds of grapes, 2 persimmons (I don’t know what to do with those yet), 4 grapefruit and a bunch of bananas. It was all in good shape.

The summer squash was the one thing I thought my kids might be picky about. I decided if I cooked it right, they’d love it. As I pondered what “cooking it right” would look like for them I thought about the grilled veggies we’ve enjoyed at a local Brazilian grill. I fired up the barbecue, tossed the squash in a mixture of olive oil, minced garlic, powdered parmesan, salt and pepper.

It was a huge hit. They came off the grill sizzling with savory crumbs of cheese crusted to them. When I brought them to the table, this is what happened:

“You guys are gonna love these. They turned out so good. They are spicy and salty and the cheese makes an awesome coating.” I serve them all a few.

First Heba, our honorary family member from Egypt says, “Perfect. They are perfect.” I’m always pleased when Heba likes something because she’s an excellent cook and her opinion is highly valued.

Next, my husband, Don, “These are so delicious. It’s like eating a piece of meat. How did you do that?”

KC responds, “Well, it’s ‘cause she grilled it on our grill and we have so many charred meat remnants on it, of course it tastes like meat.” I shoot her a quick look, because the last thing I want is for Heba, an observant Muslim, to worry about is what kind of meat may be contaminating our veggies. That would NOT be Halal,
Heba only eats meat that is slaughtered and prayed over in a certain way.

Don picks up on my concern right away, “No, I scrub that thing off after every time we use it. There are no meat bits on these.” Nice save, partner. And the gospel truth.

Caleb, however, is inspired by the “meat” theme, and takes it to a new level “Yeah, these taste like you could make an awesome burger out of them.”

Brennan is out late acting as assistant stage manager on a big production at his school. When I pick him up, I have a warm plate of food in the car with me. He unwraps it and wordlessly devours the entire meal. When he is done he says, “Thanks, Mom. That was really good.” He usually has more to say about his food, but it was 11pm, he’s been up since 5:45am hasn’t eaten since lunch, so I take it as a high compliment.

The littlest among us takes one look and says. “I am not eating that. Please pass the rice.” She missed out.

Sizzling Summer Squash
2 medium summer squash, cut in ½ inch coins
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons powdered parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Toss together in a large bowl.  Place on a plate and be sure the parmesan coating is even on both sides of the squash. Grill over medium-high heat until golden all around, maybe 5-7 minutes per side.  Keep an eye on them.