Farmers' Market Friday - Back to Basics {Sauteed Summer Squash Casserole}

For the past 10 days, I've been engaged in a sugar detox. The thing is, it was a bit more than just sugar; ten days spent with no sugar, artificial sweeteners, grains of any sort, alcohol, coffee, tea, dairy and only one serving of low glycemic fruits per day. Why, you ask? I mean, if you know me at all, you know that I'm all about moderation in foods, that is, including everything, excluding nothing, but being mindful about the quality of food and limiting items that should be limited. So, this whole endeavor didn't really fit with my general philosophy.  I wish I had some great, deep, introspective answer as to what the deciding factor was, but really it is because a friend posted about it and I was intrigued and thought it would be a good way to sort of re-boot my system. Overall, the plan (The Blood Sugar Solution 10 Day Detox Diet by Mark Hyman, M.D., if you're interested) was good. The first four days were rough as I detoxed off of caffeine and I guess sugar, too. After that, it was just business as usual. The recipes or food guidelines didn't differ all that much from our usual meals for lunch and dinner and breakfast consisted of a variety of smoothies. 

Wait, don't leave....today's recipe is not one from the detox. However, as we transitioned back into a moderate way of eating, I was looking for something that would be in line with the plan but perhaps add back in a couple of the restricted items. This casserole fits the bill and is delicious - detox or not. 

Items from the market for this week:

• summer squash - yellow or zucchini or a combination
• sweet peppers - red or yellow
• tomatoes
• onions
• olive oil

Sauteed Summer Squash Casserole 

(adapted from Country Living)

• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used a purple (aka red) onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 medium summer squash (yellow, zucchini or mix of each), cut into 1/4 in thick rounds
• 1 sweet pepper, cut into 1 in squares (red or yellow - again your preference - I used red to add some more color to the mix)
• 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb. tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 C panko bread crumbs (light, Japanese bread crumbs can be found on the international foods aisle and possibly also on the flour aisle near the standard bread crumbs; could sub standard bread or even cracker crumbs if you like)

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender and translucent (about 7-9 minutes).
3. Add squash and peppers, season with a bit of salt to taste. The squash rounds have a tendency to stick together so make sure to separate them while stirring. Cook about 10 minutes until the squash is tender.
4. Spoon mixture into a 11X7 inch (or equivalent square) baking dish. Top with tomato slices, overlapping if necessary. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle bread crumbs and Parmesan evenly over the top and drizzle with about 1 Tbsp of olive oil. 
5. Bake until the topping is crisp and lightly browned and the vegetables are heated through - about 20 minutes or so.  Serve hot or at room temperature. Enjoy!

I served this along side a very simple grilled chicken breast that was seasoned with a basic Italian herb mix. For us,  it was just the thing to transition a couple of things (cheese and bread) back into our diet without overloading our systems and will be added to our rotation of go-to side dishes. For you, it is a great way to use items that are currently in season in a light, fresh casserole.

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

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