yes you can enjoy summer squash
I am making myself at home here on WordPress. I admit I am scared to death. I understood blogger and its quirks and it understood me and my quirks. Blogger is not a bad platform and I have no regrets about starting out there. You gotta start somewhere right?
Forget dessert.
I have a serious craving for salty, crunchy snacks. Now the idea of crunchy and zucchini are not usually synonymous. They can be soggy, mushy and slippery when cooked. I have found that it is not uncommon for people to hate zucchini, all summer squashes and even eggplants. I happen to love all those vegetables, even when they are not crunchy. It has been my experience that there are two ways to convert non-zucchini eaters. One is to serve it Julienned into “noodles” the other is to bake them into chips.
Yes, you can get nice crunchy “chips” from these watery veggies. I have a few steps that will effortlessly convert these water laden vegetables into something that will satisfy the biggest chip lover on game day.
This recipe works for any amount. Adjust the seasonings to how much you are making.
Zucchini & Summer Squash Chips
- Zucchini or summer squash
- kosher salt
- oregano, thyme and/or rosemary
- peccorino romano cheese
Slice the squash into thin rounds using a large sharp knife or a mandolin. Set up a large baking sheet with a cooling rack on top. Lay out the veggies in one layer. Sprinkle salt evenly over the veggies, turn over and repeat. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F, if you have convection all the better but reduce the temp by a few degrees.
Using paper kitchen towels, press the water out of the zucchini (**see note below). I found it easiest to play out multiple layers of paper on the counter, remove the zucchini to the towels then lay more paper on top and press down until the water has been obsorbed.
Lightly spray with cooling rack with oil then lay the zucchini back on in the same fashion. Lightly oil the zucchini and sprinkle the herbs and cheese over the top. Put in the oven for 20-40 minutes depending on your desired crispness and you oven.
**Most of the salt used to extract the water from the zucchini washed away between the paper towels. If sodium is an issue you can rinse the zucchini slices under water before the paper towel massage.
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I am going to have to try this method because I can imagine that my boys would love them if I can get them crispy! Thanks for sharing your method for success!
Patsy, My boys did not love them, but they did eat them. (at least did not ADMIT that they loved them) Had I been clever enough I would not have told them what they were eating and they probably would have enjoyed them more. I enjoyed them though
Waw,…home made crisps!! They look so good! What a great idea, Kristen!
I do have that problem, I can’t get them crispy, but we like squash any way you cook it. I am the same way though, sometimes I do want something crispy and salty. We will be trying that dish ASAP.
Two of my favorite fall dishes are butternut squash mashed potatoes and trukey stuffed zucchini, yummy!
This looks incredible!
I just moved my site to Movable Type, so… I feel your pain! Yummy recipe! I was looking for something fun to do with all of our squash!
Such a great idea and so much healthier than the potato chips I like to eat with my sandwiches. Thanks!
Charles, maybe healthier than potato chips, and tasty none the less, but nothing beats the perfect potato chip! (shh, don’t tell anyone but I have a potato chip addiction)
oh…yumyum…love salty snacks!
i am so sad i don’t have a cooling rack so i can try this. must buy one. i do need a “for squash wimps” recipe. not my fave veggie, but it’s so darn cheap in the summer, i should serve more of it. i tend to saute them and add to egg scramble. then i feel really accomplished having had unfavored veggies before the day begins…
Fantastic recipe! My kids will adore this!
We made these the other day, they were so yummy, but I did not have a rack so I placed them right on the baking sheet, big mistake. Beacause they were sliced so thin they all stuck, of corse. We scraped them all off and ate them anyways, the boys loved them. I will have to go buy a rack and try again.
That is great that the boys loved them! It might work with some parchment or silpat under them. Thanks for letting me know that they tasted great anyway
Thank you so much for this recipe. My son is addicted to crispy snacks, and recently because of health issues he is no longer able to eat any grains… This is a perfect snack for him, especially since I have a large section of my garden planted with squash and Zucchini.
Thank you again! I will be reading your blog weekly!
-Christina
Christina, Sorry to hear about your son. I too have an addiction to crispy snacks! I hope you like these. Have you tried beets, carrots or plantain chip? I love plantain chips. Here is a recipe for potato chips if you are interested. Looking forward to seeing more of you!
Kristen,
I’m about to try this with yellow squash. I do have a cooling rack but how do you think it would work baked directly on a baking stone?
If you do try this method, I would love to hear about it. I am intrigued by using the baking stone, my biggest concern would be sticking. Best of luck!
Kristen, I’ve just now discovered your blog and can’t wait to read up on your recipes. I’m attemping to lose some weight (43 pounds down, 45 to go) but I am also a dedicated snacker and am always on the lookout for munchies that won’t kill my calorie count. This recipe sounds great and I can’t wait to try it!
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