PATTY PAN SQUASH

I have to admit, at this point in the season, I am sleepy of Cucurbita pepo... We have it coming out our ears, and I've had the job of coming up with ways to make the old new again. From the outside though, I know patty pan can be a delicious seasonal treat. These summer squash look like bright-yellow UFOs with scalloped edges that have been producing for us all through August, about 1 per every other plant, per day (I read they are also found in white and green varieties, but I really enjoy the vibrancy of our yellow squash). I've heard from others that the squash production has been rough this year, but we have more than enough at Nye Hill...

Nutrition: 1 cup of patty pan contributes 43% of your recommended Vitamin C for the day. It is rich in other minerals and lots of fiber! Patty pan is low in cholesterol, sodium and calories.

Harvesting and cooking: Harvest when the skin is firm and untouched (if your squash are of the yellow variety, they should be a bright gold, not cream nor verging on orange. If they are orangish, take them off the plant though). They should be about five to six inches across. To avoid yanking the stem from the squash (which will encourage faster rot), twist the stem until it snaps, or cut the stem with a knife.

There are tons of ways to cook up summer squash like patty pan; sautee, put in soups, stuff them, and lots more. The other night I made a soup with patty pan, sweet corn, cream, veggie stock, basil, garlic and onion, and it was really tasty! Don't eat the stems or vines, but the skins need not be peeled, and you will consume the seeds without noticing.

Storing: Preserving patty pan has been a huge job for me here. It is important to either cook up your squash soon after harvest, give it to the neighbors (as so many of us do) or preserve it, because squash gets gouged easily by fingernails during harvest and storage and then ages more quickly as a result. Summer squash should be stored in the fridge until use, but check daily for mold growth or softening of the body, and use up if it's going south. Like always, if your produce is past its prime, compost it (or if you have pigs, give it to them; the pigs LOVE it!).

I've discovered a few great ways to preserve what we don't eat or sell. One is to cut out the bad parts and seeds (keep the skins, they are thin and full of nutritional goodies), steam them until tender, and puree in the food processor. We store this squash puree in freezer bags to use later for soups. I've recently been making patty pan pickles as well; I haven't tasted them yet, but they do look damn beautiful in their jars! Here is the recipe I used for the pickles!

Other uses: Check out my post on the culinary uses of squash blossoms such as those found on patty pan plants! Eat up and enjoy!