Baked Veggie Chips

Summer hit full stride this week and the construction sites are ovens. We're framing a subdivision off Man O' War Boulevard — twelve houses, all the same floor plan with different-colored shutters, which I reckon passes for variety in the suburbs. The heat index hit a hundred and two on Wednesday and I shut the crews down at one o'clock because I will not explain to a man's wife why her husband collapsed on a plywood subfloor for eleven dollars an hour. We'll make up the time when September cools things down. The lumber doesn't care what month it gets nailed.

The garden is going wild. Connie's tomatoes are setting fruit — still green, weeks from ready, but you can see the promise of them hanging on the vine like small green fists. The squash is doing what squash does, which is producing more than any two people need and daring you to keep up. I picked four yellow squash Monday evening and fried them for supper — sliced thin, dredged in cornmeal with salt and pepper, fried in oil until the edges go brown and crispy. Simple. Betty used to fry squash every night in summer until we begged her to stop, and she'd say you'll miss it come January, and she was right. She was always right about the things you'd miss.

Clay came to Thursday group this week. I know because he texted Connie afterward, which is his way of reporting in without reporting in. The text said "Went. Fine." Two words, a period on each. That's Clay's version of a detailed status update. Connie showed me and I nodded and went back to my squash and didn't say anything because commenting on Clay going to group is like commenting on a man breathing — you don't applaud the baseline, you just notice it quietly and keep noticing.

Called Betty Sunday. She said the heat in Evarts is ungodly and the electric bill is criminal and the tomatoes are early this year. I said ours too. She said hers are better. I did not argue because arguing with Betty about tomatoes is like arguing with the mountain about which direction is up. She asked about Clay. I said he's going to his meetings. She said good. Then she said make sure you're eating enough because I sounded thin on the phone. I weigh two-twenty. But Betty can diagnose through a telephone line, so maybe she hears something I don't.

Four squash on Monday, and there’ll be four more by Friday — that’s just how summer works, and Betty would tell you the same thing. I love a good cornmeal fry, but when the garden keeps coming, it’s worth having another way to put it to use. These baked veggie chips give you that same thin-sliced, crispy-edged satisfaction without hovering over a hot skillet in a kitchen that’s already ninety degrees. You get the crunch, you get the garden flavor, and you don’t add to the heat index. January-you will still be grateful.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 medium yellow squash, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 medium beet, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Dry the vegetables. Lay the sliced squash, zucchini, and beet on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Press gently and let them sit 5 minutes to draw out excess moisture — this is the key to getting them crispy rather than steamed.
Season and coat. Transfer the slices to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika and toss again.
Arrange on pans. Lay the slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets, making sure no pieces overlap. Work in batches if needed.
Bake until crisp. Bake 20–25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until edges are golden and the chips feel dry and crisp to the touch. Watch them closely in the last 5 minutes — they go from done to overdone quickly.
Cool and serve. Let the chips rest on the pan for 5 minutes before serving — they crisp up a little more as they cool. Season with an extra pinch of salt if needed.

Nutrition (per serving)

Baked Veggie Chips — When the Squash Comes In Faster Than You Can Fry It