Ugly food, good flavor

This doesn't look very good, but it actually was! Alex made it, so I can't list all the details. All I know is he roasted big slices of sunburst squash in the oven with olive oil and apple cider vinegar, and then finished them with herbs (oregano and basil from the garden), breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese. You could do this on the grill too, I think.

I didn't get Megan's invitation to this blog until dinner was over and we'd put the leftovers away -- otherwise, I might have come up with a better presentation (and gotten more info from Alex). But I thought I'd share anyway, because I really don't like summer squash, and this was a preparation even I could enjoy. (Cheese makes so many things so much better...)

There was another, even less photogenic component to this dinner, and one I liked even better, but know much less about. It was a bean and barley thing Alex made in the slow cooker. It looked like brown lumpy mush, but it had delightful vinegary and sweet flavor, and the barley added a nice chewiness. If I get more info from him, I'll post it.