Look at those beautiful tomatoes, peaches, green beans, summer squash and lettuce. But that odd green thing had me most intrigued. I concluded it must be a pattypan squash, having never seen one. (I think I got the name right, feel free to tell me if I muffed it up).
I decided it simply had to be part of dinner that night. So what interesting thing could I do?
Packets. You're going to love these.
TURKEY/VEGGIE PACKETS
1 square of foil or parchment for each person, brushed with cooking oil
boneless turkey or chicken, cut in medium sized (1"x1") chunks
1 Carrot per person, cut in half and quartered lengthwise
1 pattypan or zucchini squash, cut in small pieces
1/2 tsp salt per packet
fresh ground pepper
minced onion
chives
Tear off an 18" long piece of foil if grilling or parchment paper for the oven. Brush the foil with oil, then layer the squash, turkey, minced onion and carrots in the foil. Use an amount appropriate for each person, and label if possible for easy identification. Sprinkle with salt, grind on the amount of pepper each person would enjoy, scatter chives over the top, and seal up well.
Cook on the grill or in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes. 
Serve with plain white rice; each sealed packet will create plenty of juices to season up the rice.
Best of all: No pans to scrub! And it will keep your kitchen cool if you're stuck in this East Coast heat wave this week! (Note that I don't grill, but I've found a way for you to indulge, if you're so inclined.)
17 comments:
I'm guessing you did yours in the oven and heated the house up anyway?
We call those hobo packettes - leftover from girlscouts. They just stuck them right into the fire in those days. g
Great idea especially to cook outside on the barbecue. Then the house won't get hot. Diane
Neat way to cook the meal - I like to use the grill as an oven, will do so with pizza tonight, but a milkman, you have a milkman? We had a milkman when I was a kid, but I thought they were extinct. You are lucky - I kinda of long for those days when you left an order in the top of a milk bottle and it was on the porch when you got up the next morning. Of course during the winter the little cardboard lid might be sitting atop a 2" tall frozen column of milk sticking out of the jug.
I am all over this no-pan thing. I'm going to try it with fish!
Yummy! I like to cook (notice I didn't say "love to cook") but the thing I absolutely hate worst in the world, is doing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen afterwards.
So this is simply perfect!
And downright yummy looking too!
IS that a patty pan? I've only seen yellow ones, but it looks exactly the same.
Sounds like the perfect dinner. I especially like the no clean up.
We made this at 4H camp in the 1950's, using heavy duty foil, ground beef patties, carrots, big slab of onion, salt, pepper and a large piece of potato. Put on coals then go play a game of softball - presto - supper. Wonderful.
Mmm - that looks delicious! I also enjoyed your posts about the celebrations for Independence Day - although we don't celebrate it Down Under, it's nice to see what our American friends are doing! :-)
Hsin-Yi
Ok, let me edit that:
I love squash, and I love your squash invention. I'm growing various oddities now, including one that is supposed to reach 5-8 feet long -- called a tromboncino.
A lovely way to use the oven on a hot day as you've no messy pan to clean in a hot, hot kitchen. And great to seal in flavour to each person's taste.
I'll try sending our southerly blasting straight from the Antarctic over your way. Zebby is busy toasting himself - if he was any closer to the heater he'd be inside it!
Love it!! We have gigantic patty pans here but they are white in color. At any rate, I've been using them in casseroles, stir fry (do you like Japanese Hibachi steak house type fry? Here is a GREAT link
good food
I've missed you and your family!
p.s. I just cut the shrimp and use whatever I have on hand (aka more squash) I love summer :)
Interesting and tasty, I'm betting!
Like G, we call 'em hobo pouches, and they're also a firehouse favorite, in any combination, because they are kinder than a lot of dishes if they have to sit in a turned-off oven or grillwhile the crew runs a call or ten...
these are full of win--who doesn't like ripping open a package, especially if steamy, tasty food is contained within? lovely. :)
Milkman, Farmer, I want one of those. I go into State College to the dairy which is right across the street from the farm stand, which is as close as I'm going to get.
Nice basket, GREAT "throw" together!
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