Oven-Baked Summer Squash Fries

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This Oven-Baked Summer Squash Fries is very easy to do.

A summer squash has a strong resemblance, in flavor and texture, to a zucchini. You can, in fact, substitute zucchini in this recipe, but it will probably bake a bit more quickly.

There are many variants of summer squashes.  What are they?

What is a summer squash?  From Wikipedia:

Summer squash are squashes that are harvested when immature, while the rind is still tender and edible. Nearly all summer squashes are varieties of Cucurbita pepo, though not all Cucurbita pepo are considered summer squashes. Most summer squash have a bushy growth habit, unlike the rambling vines of many winter squashes.  The name “summer squash” refers to the short storage life of these squashes, unlike that of winter squashes.

Summer squashes include:

Cousa squash, pale-colored zucchini varieties purportedly of Middle Eastern or West Asian descent. Not to be confused with cushaw, a type of winter squash.
Pattypan squash (scallop squash)
Tromboncino or zucchetta, unusual among summer squash as being a vining plant and a Cucurbita moschata variety.
Crookneck squash
Straightneck squash
Zucchini (courgette)
Immature ridge gourd luffa is used as a summer squash in India, where it is known as turai or dodka.
Aehobak (Korean zucchini) belongs to the species Cucurbita moschata.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium summer squash
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs (try panko breadcrumbs for a crunchier texture)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon mustard power
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
2. Cut your summer squash into wedges. Remove the seeds if they are quite large and set wedges aside.
3. Whisk the eggs in a dish and set aside.
4. In another dish, combine the bread crumbs, paprika, mustard powder and salt and pepper.
5. Start by dipping the wedges, one by one, into the egg mixture and then the bread crumb mixture. Place each wedge on the greased baking sheet. Continue until all the wedges are done.
6. You can bake the wedges as is for about 30-40 minutes (until soft inside and golden brown on the outside), but if you want a more golden texture, drizzle or spray some olive oil on top of the wedges. Flip half way through baking.
7. Serve with ranch or another favorite dip.

Go try this Oven-Baked Summer Squash Fries recipe!

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