Summer Squash Bruschetta

By this time of the summer most people who have a vegetable garden are sick of zucchini and summer squash! Or constantly looking for new recipes! This is one of my favorites. It's actually pretty filling so I usually serve it with a big tomato salad or something else refreshing from the  garden. As we do not have tomatoes yet this year, I served this batch with stuffed squash blossoms, another favorite!

Bruschetta with Summer Squash, Bacon & Blue Cheese originally from Cook's Illustrated

1. Dice and cook up about 4 slices of bacon, drain. 
2. Gather a few medium sized yellow squash (or zucchini), seed them and then cut into match-stick size pieces. Put them in a bowl and add a little olive oil, about a tablespoon or so of vinegar (any kind will do), and s&p. Let that stand for a few minutes. 
3. Meanwhile prep bread. Slice bread and place on baking sheet. Broil on each side about 3-4 minutes until desired doneness. Brush each side with a clove of garlic. 
4.  Add the bacon, some crumbled blue cheese and herbs - basil, oregano, tarragon all work well - to the squash mixture. Divide mixture amongst bread slices and place under broiler for about 1 1/2 minutes. 

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

- You can really stuff squash blossoms with just about anything! They are delicate so I try to keep that in mind. Typically i use a mixture of fresh ricotta, some shredded cheese, s&p, and some herbs. Mix it up to your liking. 

To Prep:
Clean the blossoms as best you can. Mix together whatever you are going to stuff them with. Gently open each blossom and place some of the stuffing inside. 

Set up a 'breading' station using an egg wash and panko breadcrumbs for their more gently nature. I dip each blossom in the egg wash and then into the panko. Heat some olive oil in a pan to get it nice and hot. Then drop each blossom in to fry them up.

Constantly turn the blossoms using tongs until all sides have a nice golden hue to them. Eat promptly!