Category Archives: Side Dish

The Savoie family enjoys eating the harvest of summer veggies.  Sometimes it’s so plentiful, that we have to be creative in how to use up the bounty.  Squash fritters, made famous by Gammy, are a delicious way to eat up all that squash. I’ve tried many variations, but I like this recipe because it’s both sweet and savory. I remember Gammy’s fritters being sweet.  I think she even served them with powdered sugar!

Best of all, eating squash as a fritter completely eliminates the squeaky sound of squash being chewed, which really bothers Dave. Now the whole family can enjoy the harvest.

By Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients:

2 cups grated yellow squash (2-3 small squash)
2 tsp. minced onion
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
5 tbsp. flour
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. melted butter

Method:

Makes approximately 15 small fritters.

I like to grate the squash in my food processor, but you can also do this by hand. In a large bowl combine squash, onion, sugar, salt, pepper , flour, beaten egg and butter. My children help with this part.  Let it sit for a few minutes. You will find that the mixture is dry at first, but begins to look wetter as the squash weeps.

Elizabeth's first yellow squash of the season.

Drop by tablespoons into lightly oiled hot frying pan. Brown the fritters on both sides.  Drain them on paper towels and serve warm.

Serve them with sweet potatoes or carrot salad. The yellow and orange look great together on a plate.

Paw Paw’s garden overfloweth with okra.  He sent me home with a five gallon bucket full this September, and I have several plants of my own growing in the garden!  I blanched and froze three bags for gumbo, pickled

two jars, saved a few for boiling whole and still had some left over to make this Indian style okra recipe.

Prepare this simple dish in a skillet.  The onions give the okra a sweet flavor unlike the traditional Cajun preparations.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 pound sliced fresh okra
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, and cook until tender. Stir in the okra and seasonings. Cook and stir for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook for 10 or so minutes, stirring occasionally until okra is tender.

I served this okra along side baked sweet potatoes and chickpea and apple curry with rice.

During the summer, I can’t resist buying fresh corn on the cob, especially when it goes on sale for 5 for a $1!  This recipe is so much better than canned cream corn. It’s naturally sweet and crisp.  Fresh creamed corn goes well with any meal, but is a marvelous complement to a Mexican themed dinner.

by Elizabeth Dronet

Ingredients

8 ears of corn
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Method

The corn can be prepared two different ways.  You  may cut and scrape kernels from the cob and cook it in the skillet for about 12 minutes.  Or you may boil the cobs first  for about 5 minutes, cool, and cut and then scrape kernels off of the cob.  I sometimes store the boiled kernels in the fridge for quick assembly the following evening.

In a large skillet, melt butter and add corn and milk.  Sprinkle with cornstarch, sugar, and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer a few minutes if the corn is already cooked.  If the kernels are raw, simmer for 10-12 minutes.  Serve hot.