French Dirt, and A French Twist

I am lacking a gene that seems to be hard-wired into the French make-up. I don’t do vegetable gardening. But I greatly admire those who do. I’m an avid and enthusiastic flower gardener, though, and I love growing herbs and lettuces amongst the perennials. Pierre has kindly loaned me a couple of rows of his garden for veggies, but I haven’t had much luck with them.

In any case the markets are so seductive I don’t feel the need, except for one thing: the Europeans don’t know or grow my favorite vegetable, summer crookneck squash. Inspired by Nicole, the master delegator, I decided to ‘sub out’ my squash growing.

On our last trip to the states, I packed a dozen packets of squash seeds. One April day at the Saturday market, the meeting place for many of our European expat friends, I handed out seed packets at our table at the café. A new and exotic vegetable! Free seeds if you share your harvest! I had lots of takers.

Then, I tried my luck with two of the market vendors. One was skeptical, but he agreed. The other was bubbling with enthusiasm. He flags me down every week and speaks tenderly of the seedlings’ progress.

If you grow summer squash, you know they MUST be harvested early, when they are still smooth, small, and pale yellow, which I carefully explained to all my ‘suppliers’. So I was puzzled recently when one of the vendors told me my squash was ready. All I saw was a basket of giant, neon yellow, bumpy gourds. Oops. The other vendor did a bit better, but the squash were still fat and lumpy. “These don’t taste so good,” he said.

But I scored with my British friends Tony and Narissa: they delivered a large sack of perfect, pale beauties, which were delicious.

For my favorite squash casserole recipe, see the blog of August 5. Here is another recipe, a one-dish meal you can throw together in 15 minutes if you are lucky enough to have some of these yellow gems.

RECIPE: Southern Hash with a French Accent

When I first made ‘hash’ for Ron, he turned up his nose at the menu. He pictured the stuff that comes in a can, with corned beef. Nothing could be further from Southern Hash, which is basically meat or fish, fresh veggies, and potatoes, sautéed together in a black skillet. You can even leave out the meat. No need to measure or stress. The possibilities are endless, the gratification almost immediate.

A little French twist: I use French saucisses for this recipe: nature (mild), merguez (cumin, pepper), chipolata (thyme, sage, nutmeg), or herbes de Provence. Italian sausage or chicken sausages flavored with herbs make a nice substitute, but leftover chicken, pork, or salmon will work as well. Or, leave out the meat and maybe toss in some chopped tomatoes and/or fresh spinach at the last minute.

Olive oil
Yellow onions, coarsely chopped
Summer squash, sliced
Red pepper, sliced
Italian or other sausages with herbs, sliced
Small potato wedges, cooked (leftover roasted or baked potatoes, or bake first in microwave)
Fresh garlic, chopped
1 egg per person
A splash of white wine
Fresh basil and/or parsley, chopped (or dried herbes de Provence)
Grated fresh parmesan

Heat olive oil in black skillet until it shimmers. (I tend to cook this on relatively high heat, but adjust as you go). Sauté onions, peppers, and sausage together for a couple of minutes, then add squash and cook until squash is almost tender. Meanwhile, poach eggs.

Add potatoes and garlic to skillet, cook until potatoes brown up a bit. Dish it up on warm plates, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired. Top each plate with a poached egg. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and parmesan. Serve it in the garden with a crisp white wine, though a cold beer would not be a bad idea either.

OK y’all, does anyone else make hash? I was curious, so I googled it and came up with everything from Progressive Farmer’s favorite hash (very basic, shortening was involved) to a fancy one with crab, and even a curried turkey one. There is also bbq pork hash, but that, dear readers, is a different story all together.

NEW THIS WEEK: A list of all the blogs and recipes, see the sidebar. Also, I'm gradually adding to the FAQ section. You've asked for a cost comparison between living in the US and France, and also what we miss most from home. I've added some answers, today on the FAQ's page.

Comments

[Mindy]

Sounds like a great recipe! I'm going to try it this weekend!

[cynthia at the daily basics]

This might be my new favorite recipe! How YUMMY does that look!

You do realize that 200 years from now when crookneck squash is a mainstay in the French larder, the story will surface that they were brought over by this savvy Southerner who wanted her squash. You've started a new page in French history - not easy to do!

[Frank Levin]

I love the silverware in the hash picture. There must be a story behind it. Is there?

[Joyce]

Hi Lynn, leave it to my Southern girlfriend to introduce squash to the world ! It is an all time favorite of mine too. I am just totally surprised that you don't grow it yourself. Have you ever made squash patties, yum ! Cook squash until tender, drain any remaining liquid,(tastes wonderful simmered in a little chicken stock) add chopped onion, pimiento, egg, herbs of choice, and just a bit of flour if needed as binder. Fry in patties in a bit of olive or canola oil until lightly browned. Enjoy ! These are delicious ! I always look forward to your posts. Happy gardening and happy cooking my friend !(I have been busy making pear preserves and apple butter)
Joyce

[A]

That recipe sounds divine, thank you so much!

[Genie -- Paris and Beyond]

Lynn, I love the ingenuity of passing out the seed packets and I am guessing that the one vendor was still in the "gourd mode." Your recipe sounds delish and we will enjoy it this week!

Hummmm.... I wonder how they would do with our Southern grits and toasted grit cakes?

Love your stories and photos!

Bises,
Genie

[Emily]

Hi Lynn,

Devil's advocate here, wondering if -- since I am in a part of France that has not yet received summer squash seeds a la Lynn -- this hash would be alright if I used the ubiquitous courgette? It looks so delicious, I really want to try it! Thanks for adding southern flair to all your French doings!

[Patricia Glee Smith]

Would you have a few leftover seeds to bring to Italy when you come???

[Suzanne Hurst]

Lynn,I'm going to try the squash patties sometime. Do you have okra in France? I'm frying some for dinner.