West Indies Savory Stuffed Summer Squash

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 6 small zucchini
• 6 small crookneck yellow squash
• salt
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1 lemon, juice of, plus
• 1/2 lemon, juice of
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon crushed dried mint
• 3/4 lb lean ground beef or 3/4 lb turkey
• 1/3 cup cooked rice
• 1/2 large tomato, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Recipe

• 1 to prepare the squash: wash the squash well.
• 2 sprinkle them with salt and let drain for 1/2 hour; this will soften them. rinse the salt off and dry. using a narrow apple corer, make a hole at the stem end of each squash and scoop out the pulp, being careful not to break the skin. the other end must remain closed.
• 3 to make the filling: put all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. stir until well blended.
• 4 to stuff squash: fill each squash half-full of the filling. lay a few thin slices of tomato in the bottom of a large, deep baking dish. place the stuffed squash side-by-side in layers on top of the tomatoes.
• 5 in a small saucepan, mix the tomato paste with 1 cup water and juice from one lemon. bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. pour the tomato sauce over the squash. cover the saucepan and simmer gently for 1 hour or until squash are soft and filling is cooked. add more water if necessary.
• 6 crush the garlic cloves with a little salt. mix with the mint and juice from half a fresh lemon. sprinkle this mixture over the squash and continue cooking a few minutes longer.