I had three summer squash / zucchini / courgette plants this summer.
Normally that gives me enough to fill the freezer with soup for winter, eat more than we really want and fill the compost bin before pulling them out in a frantic effort to make them stop.
This year, after harvesting a total of ten squash from three plants, which looked pathetic, I decided to plant three more. I thought maybe I would get a fall harvest.
I got two.
I suppose, technically, that would be a fall harvest, but it was even more pathetic than the summer harvest.
There were lots and lots of blossoms, lots and lots of baby squash, but they all died on the vine before getting big enough to eat – and we were willing to eat them very small…..
This was the last hurrah with the summer (fall) crop.
Stir-Fried Pork with Summer Squash
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 10oz (300gr) pork tenderloin, boneless chops, or other pork, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 1 tbs sesame oil
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) sherry
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1 tbs cornstarch (Maizena, corn flour) dissolved in
- 2 tsp soy sauce plus 1 tbs water
- 3oz (90gr) feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup dry-cured Greek olives, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup Basmati rice
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
Instructions:
- Rice:
- Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and sauté, stirring for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add stock, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until done. Fluff with fork.
- Stir-Fry:
- Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, pepper, squash to skillet and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add garlic, mushrooms and stir-fry another 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add sesame oil to pan and heat. Add pork and stir-fry 3 – 5 minutes, until nicely browned.
- Return vegetables to the skillet.
- Add chicken stock, sherry, tomato paste and bring to a boil.
- Dissolve cornstarch in soy sauce and water. Add cornstarch mixture to pan and stir until thickened.
- Stir in feta and olives.
- Serve over Basmati Rice.
I planted acorn squash hoping for a fall harvest as well.
Apparently fall harvests only work in theory. I planted them at the end of July which, according to my calculations, should have given them ample time to produce a crop before the end of October, when it starts getting cold.
Each plant produced 1 squash (instead of the normal 7 – 10) then promptly died before they had a chance to ripen.
They all went to the compost.
On another subject, Guapa has finally figured out where peanut butter comes from.
She had thought that I bought it at the store for her.
Last night she learned the truth…..
Peanut butter comes from mice.
We’ve been using peanut butter on bread in the mousetraps.
Every night mon mari assures me that the mousetraps are out of reach of the dogs.
Some nights he’s right.
Other nights not.
Nothing like being presented with an immaculately cleaned mouse, still in the trap. before my first coffee.
We think she’s after the peanut butter.
So far she hasn’t realized that the mouse could be, er, food.
We’re not telling her……
If you want nutrition information for the recipe, try this site: Calorie Count
Oh, my! Is there no end to the wrinkles that dogs find to surprise us? Very inventive way for Guapa’s to get a midnight snack!
Pam, at least all she does is lick them clean….