I call Patty Pan squash UFO Squash. Or Alien Squash. Or simply mutants. They are similar to summer squash or zucchini and you can actually prepare those types of squash the same way as this recipe. This made a great side dish to fish this evening but also pairs well with chicken or red meat, or simply on it’s own, I guess. Aim to buy smaller patty pans, or cut them in half, which I don’t think is as pretty. Really easy peasy recipe.
If you follow this site, you know that I seem to make a variation of Colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes) most St. Patrick’s Day — varying the potatoes (sometimes sweet potatoes) and the greens (cabbage, kale, even spinach), but this year, I stuck with transitional russett potatoes and cabbage, but make “cakes”, sort of like potato pancakes. Fried up, they are a great side dish to Irish-style sausages, or even for breakfast with bacon and eggs. Very filling!
These are Maple Bacon Cheddar Biscuits… a little sweet, a little savory, cheesy, bacon-y… which is to say that they are perfect for a breakfast sandwich or as an accompaniment to savory things like soups and chowders too. I like that neither the bacon nor the maple syrup are too overwhelming. The sharp cheddar is just right too.
More on the Farmer’s Market side-dish theme… bean last time, peas this time. I am calling this one “Peas + Pears” — peas for the freshly shucked, perfectly “pearl” sized peas from the farmer’s market this morning and pearls for the pearled couscous and the perlini mozzarella. It’s sweet and savory, got a variety of textures and I think would go great with a seafood dish — salmon or scallops come to mind. This is super easy and quick to make, so it didn’t heat up the kitchen too much!
I seem to be on a little bit of a “side-dish” tangent these days. There is such an abundance of yummy veg at the farmers market. These here are just your run of the mill green beans , but I made this “bacon panko crunch” that make it both textually different and bacony. And what’s not to love about bacony, right?