This is the soup my DSis makes all the time, either with squash or pumpkin. OMG! It is so good, and can be frozen for later use.

Pumpkin Soup

1 ½ tbsp Butter
1 ½ tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Chopped Sweet Onions (red onion is my favourite)
1 cup Chopped Bell Peppers (Mixed Red and Green  I like mostly red)
½ Tsp Cumin
½ Tsp Coriander
1 Cinnamon Stick or ½ Tsp Cinnamon
1 ½ Tsp Curry Powder
½ Tsp Grated Nutmeg
1 Tsp Grated Ginger
1/8 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
½ Tsp Salt
6 cups Fresh Pumpkin or Squash (Butternut or Acorn), Mashed
(If Fresh Pumpkin Not Available, Used Canned)
2 cups Chicken Broth, plus 1 Cup Water OR 3 cups of broth and no water
½ cup Madeira Wine or Sherry
2 cups Milk (or to desired consistency)

 Melt butter and blend with oil in big pot over medium heat.

 Add onion and peppers, cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

 Add about ½ cup of broth, plus the spices and stir thoroughly to coat.

ï§ Add pumpkin/squash and cook on low heat for five minutes until flavors are thoroughly blended.

 Add rest of chicken broth and water, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer about 15 minutes.

 Add Madeira or sherry and simmer 5-10 minutes longer.

 Pour pumpkin mixture and liquid into blender or food processor, process about 1 minute until very smooth. You can store in jars in fridge or freezer or use right away.

 Before serving, add milk to desired consistency, and simmer, stirring constantly, until thoroughly heated.

 Garnish, if desired, with croutons or dollop of sour cream or 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese.

Is that summer squash? Zucchini? I would make pickles with the cucumbers or yogurt cucumber salad.
Clare

Cucumber Yogurt Salad Recipe

Ingredients
2 cucumbers, peeled, quartered lengthwise, then sliced
Plain yogurt, about 1 cup
1 teaspoon dried dill, or a couple of teaspoons of fresh dill
Sprinkling of salt and pepper

Method
First taste the cucumbers to make sure that they are not bitter. Depending on the variety of cucumber you are using, and many other factors, you may find a cucumber that is distinctly bitter in taste. If this happens, soak the cucumber slices in salted water for half an hour, or longer, until the bitterness is reduced, then rinse and drain before using.

To make the salad, simply gently mix together the ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

I love squash croquettes any which way, but here's an easy one. Soul food restaurant downtown prepares theirs this way.

SQUASH CROQUETTES
2 cups finely chopped yellow squash
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil

Combine squash, onion, egg, salt and pepper, mixing well. Stir in flour. In a skillet, heat 1/2 inch oil over medium-high heat. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into oil. Cook about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown, turning once; drain. Makes 6 servings.

Trish, I slice 4 to 5 squash and 1 large Vidallia onion place in a skillet with a stick of butter. Cover with a lid, stir occasionally. Cook until squash is tender. I love it this way. Sometimes I add a cup of grated cheddar cheese after it is cooked, the heat will melt the cheese.
Charlene

I slice zuchinni and fry in olive oil until very brown, then toss with linguini and lots of parmeasan cheese. Sometimes I add sauted onions and mushrooms with it.

Here is a recipe from Allrecipes.com that I was going to try this week.

Summer Squash Bread

Submitted By: UNFORGETABLE
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Servings: 16

"Transform your summer squash into a moist, delicious loaf of bread!"
INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 cups shredded summer squash
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs until fluffy. Beat in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fold in the squash. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
3. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
To make this even better add a crumb topping: 1 C. brown sugar, 3/4 C. flour, 2 tsp. cinamon, 1/4 C. butter. Mix together and put on top of loafs or muffins.

Summer Squash Bread
Servings Per Recipe: 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 324
· Total Fat: 15g
· Cholesterol: 40mg
· Sodium: 104mg
· Total Carbs: 44.3g
· Dietary Fiber: 1.1g
· Protein: 3.8g

This past weekend we had a small get together (to plan the menu for the 4th). One gal brought some summer squash. I didn't ask but it looked like she'd just diced it up and sprinkled some Italian seasoning on it, maybe a little onion, and baked it. It was good too.
Leslie

Grate the squash and sautee it with butter, chopped onion, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Easy and delish.

Linda

Just slice the squash, eat it raw, dipping in your favorite dressing.

Gonna make the pumpkin soup right now. Sounds good.

You are life savers! I will try a little bit of everything above.

Warning you all now- Next week will be Okra. I like Okra but no else will eat it. I think I will pickle that for sure.

Trish

This is from my grandmother (passed 17 yrs ago), I have never made it don't have a big garden. She did can regular pickles but always had a big jar of this, keeps in fridge for a long time and really refreshing.

Cucumber salad
6 cups peeled and sliced thin cucumbers
1 green pepper fine chopped or 2 TBLS pepper flakes
1 cup onion sliced

Cook 1 cup of vinegar, 1 1/2 cup sugar and 1 TBSP salt

Pour over hot and let sit a while (doesn't say how long)
put in jars and keep in Frig.

Maybe this would work w/okra too.

Here is my recipe for Refrigerator Pickles. They are like bread and butter pickles. You can use Splenda in place of the sugar, and use less.

REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

Pat - Holy Cross Cook book
Tami_Ohio

Slice onion in bottom of gallon jar. Slice pickles to fill but do not peel. Boil syrup, until dissolved and pour over pickles and refrigerate

4 c. white vinegar 1 ½ t. mustard seed
4 c. sugar 1 ½ t. tumeric
¼ c. canning salt 1 t. celery seed

For 1 quart Jar = ¼ recipe

1 T. canning salt
1 rounded t. mustard seed
1 rounded t. tumeric
¼ t. celery seed
3 large cucumbers

18 pickle size cucumbers make about 2 quarts of pickles.

Tami

I saw these suggestions on the Cooking Forum for a cucumber salad. Since it is for one serving only, you will have to increase the amounts if you want it for more then one.
Clare

8 oz. Cucumbers (peeled & diced)

Italian
1 tbs. Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Fresh basil, minced
Salt

Asian
1 tbs. rice wine vinegar
½ tsp. Sesame oil
½ tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp. Lite soy sauce

Indian
1 tbs. plain yogurt
1 tbs. fresh mint, minced
½ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. curry powder
Salt

Southwest
1 tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. fresh cilantro minced
¼ tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. V-8 or any tomato juice
Dash of minced garlic

Each makes 1 serving.

and my dad used to slice cukes, and red onions, served cold with a combo of sour cream, little sugar and 1/2 and 1/2...oh my! he never measured it was just done by taste...

I'm good to go with an okra and tomatoes recipe. ;)

I think I can supply all of the local picnics being held in our area this weekend- I have not even started with my own garden! My tomato plants should be ready next week. I have been saving all of these and will be pickling up a storm this weekend!

Trish

I think this coming week my zucchini will be starting to get ready. I checked them yesterday, but you never know. they grow so fast. We could use a bit of rain. Lots of good recipes. Mostly zucchini cake around here and sometimes fixed with smoked sausage, some peeled and sliced zucchini, some spaghetti sauce and large croutons and mix in lots of cheese and bake until nice and bubbly. You might add a bit of onion too.

Sue