Summer is almost here which means it is officially BBQ season! I love starting side dishes in my crock pot and then finishing them with fresh veggies and herbs. So for this past weekend’s festivities, I picked up some pattypan squash at my local farmer’s market. I think they are so cute and fun to eat! I also like them better than regular yellow squash because in a pattypan, the seeds are much smaller. The shape of the vegetable sort of resembles a flying saucer or a spin-top toy.
If you get really small pattypan squash, you can just cook them whole, which is a beautiful presentation. But I bought bigger ones, so I went ahead and cut them up into bite-sized cubes. The prep for this dish was so minimal, I had it done in about a minute.
You can use this vegetable in a number of different ways. It holds its texture well when steamed or stir-fried. I cooked it in the crock pot while I ran some errands and then let it cool completely before mixing it into my salad.
Happy summer BBQs!
Crock Pot Pattypan Squash Salad
Serves 10-12 sides dishes
8 Pattypan squash, three-inches in diameter each
2 T. butter
2 green onions, diced
1/3 c. banana pepper rings (hot or mild)
1 8 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts (DO NOT DRAIN!)
1 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. shredded guyere cheese
Cut squash into bite size pieces and put in crock pot, add 2 T. butter distributed across vegetables and cook on low for two hours. Let cool, then mix with remaining ingredients and chill for 2-4 hours. The marinade from the artichoke hearts serves as your dressing.