I was a bit astounded as to how hard it was to find summer squash, the squash I remember from my childhood. If you want butternut, acorn or spaghetti squash, no problem, but woe unto you if you attempt to find those long lovelies from many a home garden. I found these specimens at the Atwater Market in Montreal for Sunday night dinner. Cleaned and chopped, they came out to a little less than two pounds. I love vegetables and I love even more when I foist new vegetables upon the LSC.

Be forewarned, though: this sucker is SPICY.

I mean, if you don’t mind, by all means, whip up the recipe as is (especially if you can find the effing squash). If you are not a heat fan, then sub the jalapenos with roasted red peppers. And if you do like spicy, remember that the casserole leftovers will just get hotter overnight.

The LSC loved it, of course. In fact, I think he ate more of it than I did. Tomorrow is Baking Wednesday but I’ll leave it to you readers to suggest what I should bake and why in the comments.

Summer Squash Casserole

adapted from Eating Well magazine

2 1/4 lbs. summer squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 (4 oz.) can chopped drained green chiles

1 (4 oz.) can drained chopped jalapenos

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, low-fat if you prefer (I do not), divided

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup mild or medium salsa

thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine squash, onion, chiles, jalapenos, salt and half the cheese. Sprinkle with flour; toss to coat. Spread mixture in prepared dish. Cover with nonstick foil. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and squash is tender. Remove from oven and remove foil. Spread salsa on top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until golden and heated through. Just before serving, garnish with green onions, if desired.