My short hike through one of my favorite places, Pulaski Park, in the northwest corner of RI, taught me how to get savvy with selfies (still working on that, lol!) and found interesting wildlife and habitats along the way and ended

with a fantastic meal of roasted squash over pasta with my very simple veggie marinara sauce (recipe for another day!) and Squash-Cheddar Biscuits adapted from Marissa at Little House Living and Aspen’s rich and creamy Very-Berry Soft-serve ice cream dessert. Such a fun day!

Even though it feels like the season is on the verge of change, it is still summer through almost the end of September! Yay! So, here are a few very yummy, summery, farmer’s market inspired recipes that are very simple to make using only a few ingredients per recipe.

If you have ever used Bisquick, this Squash & Cheddar Biscuit recipe will inspire you to never use Bisquick again as you can use the same recipe without the cheddar or the squash and get Bisquick-like biscuits. I used to use it myself, but a few years back, they drastically changed the ingredient list to include the very unhealthy hyrdogenated oils (equals trans fat) that are so very harmful to our bodies and many additives and preservatives that were non-existent or nominal in the original recipe. Not to mention, it’s very easy to replicate the original base and then add your extra ingredients to make many different types of homemade biscuits. Oh my!

The veggies I used came from Nature’s Harvest Farm in Connecticut who sells exclusively at the Burrillville Farmer’s Market! These had minimal seeds, and are very flavorful. They use no pesticides or chemical fertilizers in their fields! Love their produce! It is all so amazing!

So, I used just the necks or top half (the parts without the seeds) of each squash to comprise my two cups of shredded squash for the biscuits and I used the bodies to slice and use for my roasted veggies which you can do either on the BBQ or in the oven.

ROASTED SUMMER SQUASH
5 Summer Squash, sliced (any variety)
1 Onion quartered & sliced
2 T Grapeseed Oil
1 T Fresh Parsley, chopped
Garlic Powder to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine squash & onion in a bowl and add oil and seasonings. Toss until well coated & mixed evenly. Roast in oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes, uncovered in a baking dish.

OPTIONAL:  For BBQ, pour mixed/coated veggies onto a large piece of foil. Turn up each side, so it doesn’t drip, making a pocket but leaving a large vent in the top. Put directly on the BBQ and close the top for approx 10 minutes. Check frequently (don’t let them turn to mush, unless you like it that way!)

SQUASH-CHEDDAR BISCUITS
2 cups Summer Squash(any variety) shredded
3 cups Whole Wheat Flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
4 T melted Coconut Oil or Real Butter
1 tsp Salt
1 T Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 cup Cheddar Cheese (I use Kosher Cheese)
3/4 cup Whole Milk, Cashew Milk, Almond Milk (your choice)

Shred the squash on a hand grater on the largest hole.
Mix all the dry ingredients together until combined well.
Add the squash to the dry ingredients until well-coated.
Add the cheddar cheese & mix well.
Add the remaining ingredients & mix well. Dough will be a bit sticky.
Drop onto a greased cookie sheet or baking dish in desired size.
These will be dense, so don’t go too big. You want them to cook through.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.
Ovens vary so you may need a bit more time. Enjoy!

VERY-BERRY SOFT-SERVE
1 cup Fresh Blackberries
1 cup Frozen Strawberries
1 large Frozen Banana
3-4 T Chilled Thai Coconut Milk
1/4 cup Whole Milk, Almond or Cashew Milk

Combine all ingredients in a hi-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately. Totally enjoy every single bite. You can also top with more chilled coconut milk! Soooo yummy!

Thanks for joining me for my birthday dinner! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did…we even surprisingly have leftovers. Except for the ice cream…that was gone right way!

Peace, love & hugs,
Raindrop