If you have a vegetable garden, chances are you will have a huge crop of yellow squash. Growing up, my mom found creative ways to use it; one of the most popular was squash croquettes. Almost everyone I grew up with remembers ordering squash croquettes at the Pioneer Cafeteria in Roebuck. It was one of the few places we would go out to eat as a family. It was an upscale (meaning there was a waterfall feature in the middle of the room) meat and three steamtable restaurant where you would go down the line with a tray and select a meat and three vegetables. Of course, vegetables could be anything from Jello to mac n cheese… but you could bet that just about every diner would order the squash croquettes if they were available.

Here is the recipe for those famous Pioneer Cafeteria squash croquettes; my mother’s recipe is very similar. I hope you make them, and they become one of your own summer favorites.

PIONEER SQUASH CROQUETTES

NGREDIENTS

2 pounds choice yellow squash (about 6 medium squash)

1 cup yellow onion, minced

1 stick margarine

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

4 eggs, well beaten

2 cups white bread crumbs, plus more for rolling

1 cup cornbread crumbs

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional

1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS:

Cut squash into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Add to a pot of water, making sure to just cover the squash. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then cook until fork tender. Allow to drain thoroughly for 3 hours in the refrigerator. (Note: If you are in a hurry, you can pile the squash onto a large, clean square of cheesecloth and twist to get rid of the excess water.)

Sauté onions in a saucepan with margarine until brown. Cool.

Place drained squash in a large bowl. Add the cooled onions and all the remaining ingredients except the oil and the reserved breadcrumbs, mixing well.

Shape croquettes using a #12 ice cream scoop. and roll them in the reserved breadcrumbs.

Fry in oil heated to 350° until golden brown. Drain off excess oil on paper towels.

Where I live in Alabama, we are able to grow an abundance of yellow (summer) squash in the garden and it is always on the table in the summer. This is the way my mom cooked yellow squash and it is still my favorite way. Although I used black pepper for this batch, my mom only used white pepper for her squash.

For summer squash from the garden, you can cook it with or without onions. We prefer sweet onions but yellow (Spanish) onions are equally delicious. There's also the white pepper vs black pepper debate. Purists will say you must only use white peppe… — For summer squash from the garden, you can cook it with or without onions. We prefer sweet onions but yellow (Spanish) onions are equally delicious. There's also the white pepper vs black pepper debate. Purists will say you must only use white pepper. You can see I opted for black pepper here.

SUMMER SQUASH AND SWEET ONIONS

Skill Level: Easy Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35-40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

6-8 medium yellow squash, sliced

1-2 Vidalia onions, sliced thin

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup cold water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper (the old school way is with white pepper so use that if you have it)

INSTRUCTIONS

Use a large skillet with a lid. Put the butter in the skillet and let it melt over low heat. Once it is melted, add the onions and increase the heat to medium. Stir and cook the onion until it is softened and turns yellow, about 15 minutes. Be careful not to brown the onion, you want to cook them slowly. Add the squash and salt. Stir once. Put the lid on and let it cook for 5 minutes without opening the lid. Stir. Add the water. Bring to a boil and cook without the lid for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook with the lid on, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes or until the squash is tender. Check seasoning; add more salt and pepper if you need to.