The Last of the Summer Harvest (soup and a side dish)

Don’t Squish the Squash! Squash gets a bad rep. Maybe the name puts people off, but in addition to being really healthy and easy to prepare it can be delicious. Winter squash, such as pumpkin is hard shelled and sturdy. Summer squash, such as zucchini is softer and bruises easily. Both are in season and in abundance at your local grocery store.

Pumpkin curry soup;
¼ cup butter
1 small onion, diced
¼ cup flour
1 tsp curry powder or more or less depending on your taste
2 cups of cooked pureed pumpkin or one can of pumpkin puree (make sure you don’t use the pumpkin pie filling) or any winter squash such as butternut or acorn
2 cups of milk or chicken broth or a combination

Melt the butter over medium heat, add the onion and cook until the onion is soft. Stir in the flour and curry until it’s a paste. Add the milk slowly, letting the mixture bubble after each addition. Add the pumpkin and stir. Heat it up until it’s hot. You could puree it with a stick blender or in a food processor if you want it smooth or leave the onions in bits if you want. Add salt to your taste. Serve hot.

Zucchini sauté with tomatoes;
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 medium or large zucchini, sliced in half rounds
2 tomatoes, sliced in half rounds
dash each of oregano, basil and parsley or use some Italian seasoning.

Heat a fry pan to medium then add the oil. Cook the onion slowly until almost soft. If you are using dried herbs, add them now. Then add the garlic and zucchini. Stir and cook until the zucchini until tendercrisp. Add the tomatoes and if you are using fresh herbs add them now.
This is a great side dish with anything off the grill or out of the oven. It is also fantastic over pasta as a vegetarian dish.