Here's a recipe for squash casserole that I use. It turns a rather healthy low-calorie vegetable into something a bit more artery clogging but it is absolute heaven to eat: Squash Casseroleâ¨â¨ 4 medium to large yellow summer squash⨠1 medium to large Vidalia-type onion chopped â¨1 sleeve Ritz crackers 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese⨠2 eggs, beaten⨠3/4 cup milk⨠1/2 stick of butter⨠1 tsp salt⨠1 1/2 tsp black pepper Preheat oven to 350. Put squash, onion, and about a cup and a half of water in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until squash and onions are tender. Drain well. Add half stick of butter and let melt. In medium bowl, crush crackers and stir in cheese. Add salt and pepper, stir. Stir half of the cracker mixture into the squash. In small bowl, mix together milk and two eggs. Pour into squash mixture. Stir well. Pour into 13 x 9 casserole dish. Top with remaining crumb mixture and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until top is browned.

Well, I made the fried yellow squash last night for dinner and it was AWESOME! A lot of the success had to do with me being able to get the temp. right on my fussy, on-its-way-out electric range's burners. Not a diet food though, thanks for the alternative RE! Sounds delish! I did feel kind of bad that I had to throw out some leftover flour and bread crumbs. I saved what was left of the egg for scrambled eggs this morning. I loved the double dipping, nice and crispy and delish flavor, although I think tradition in my family is to just dip in egg and then flour. I might try it that way, with a mix of flour and bread crumbs. Lori's way is definately better but I'm a chronic tweaker in the kitchen, what can I say. If I'm not mistaken, this double dipping method works for all kinds of breaded foods, like maybe even chicken or salmon patties, right?? Now on to the kugel. Thanks for the tips, I do vaguely remember my aunt who made the squash kugel salting and draining it. Summer squash fresh from a real garden has got to be one of my favorite things, slightly behind homegrown tomatoes and maybe just minutely ahead of fresh green beans.

You don't have to use whey or any other starter (I don't care for them either) it just takes a bit more salt and a longer fermenting time. You can do the squash like fermented pickles just subbing squash for the cukes. If you use small hard ones they can be done whole or sliced in lengthwise halves. If you go for quarters they tend to mush more. I have never done any sweet fermenting except adding a smidge of sugar to my krauts and Linda Lou's Sweet Pickle Chunks (recipe here) as it is much more complex and while I like those pickles I don't care for any other sweet ferments I have tried. But pull up that recipe and take a look at using it. For the garlic/dills the standard NCHFP Fermented Dills instructions works great. There is also and Alton Brown recipe here for fermented dill pickles you can use. Let me know if you can't find it. Now if you find you really want to get deep into fermenting pick up a copy of Joy of Pickling for all the info you'll need. Hope this helps. Dave http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/dill_pickles.html

i am finally home and will get the strawberry popcorn seeds out in today's mail. Have you mailed my squash seeds yet? I am hoping by the time they get here I will be strong enough to get them planted as now is the time here in centeral Texas. Thanks for the trade.