Fried Squash

by Amy, author of the Visit Gettysburg website

(Maryland)

This fried squash recipe is a summertime treat for us! We use fresh squash from our garden. It’s been a family tradition since long before me.

Ingredients:
1 egg
breadcrumbs or flour, seasoned to taste
summer squash, such as white patty pan or zucchini

Instructions:
Preheat a well-oiled griddle. Slice the squash into thin rounds. Remove any seeds that are too large. Beat the egg in a shallow plate-type bowl. Fill another shallow bowl with enough breadcrumbs or flour to cover the bottom. I like to mix my crumbs up in a seperate cup to season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley flakes. I pour from this cup whenever the bowl becomes to empty. The proceedure is to dip a slice of squash in the egg then in the crumbs so that it’s coated on both sides. It’s a fun job for a child. I used to help my mom when I was little. Stack the coated slices on a plate for the grown-up to take to the hot griddle. Cook until brown on one side, then flip and brown the other side.

Frying is a little labor intensive and oily, so an alternative method is to line up all of the coated squash slices on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 45 minutes or until lightly browned. We usually make them this way now, but the way my great-grandmother made it (as she’d learned from her ancestors)was by frying. Baking was harder for them because it’s hard to keep an even hot temperature with a wood fire.