Produce Highlight: Oh My (Summer) Squash!
Oh my squash! It’s already summer produce time! There is an almost endless variety of summer squash coming into season, varying in shape, size, color, and flavor. Pale yellow to dark green and just about everything in between – the first of the lot have started showing up and you’ll soon be able to find a fun and vast assortment at the Chico Certified Farmers’ Market!
The skin on summer squash is thin and edible (unlike its winter counterpart) and they can be eaten raw or cooked! With a mild flavor that ranges from nutty to sweet, each variety has a subtle but distinct difference in taste. While they have many similarities, the different varieties also differ in their texture, color, and ideal use – so keep reading to learn a little more about summer squash varieties!
This week look for yellow squash, zucchini, pattypan and more varieties at the Chico Saturday Farmers’ Market!
Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Zucchini
What most of us picture first when we think of summer squash, zucchini is known for its deep green color and straight body, and is insanely versatile! They have a mild flavor and wonderfully delicate and smooth texture. Although they can grow to be the size of a baseball bat, pick ones on the smaller side. As they get bigger, they turn tough and woody. Eat them as crudité, spiral them into zoodles, bake into lasagna, or put em straight on the grill. The possibilities are endless!
The Crookneck or Yellow Squash
The yellow squash is a classic, and, while we’re used to seeing them with the bulbous bottoms and slender tops, they actually come with straight necks or curved necks. They are mild in flavor and often bright yellow in color, but can also be a delicate pale green. The crooknecks have a distinctive narrowing at their tops and often a seductive curve to their shape. You can use them just like zucchini!
*Note: Yellow squash and yellow zucchini are not the same! Keep reading.
Magda and Yellow Zucchini
Magda
Speckled pale green with a bell or even eggplant like shape, Magda squash are mild, sweet, nutty, and Middle Eastern in origin. They can be used just like a zucchini, but because of their more plump shape around the bottom, they are great for stuffing!
Yellow Zucchini
Well they taste just like a zucchini and act about the same as well, but the coolest part about yellow zucchini? It keeps its bright sunny color when cooked, so you can use it just like green zucchini but to a brighter, sunnier, more colorful effect. They’re great for frittatas, sauteed up over rice, or a bright addition to your grill.
Pattypan Squash
The pattypan squash comes in a variety of colors and sizes of what’s called a scalloped squash, also playfully referred to as the “UFO” squash. It’s shaped roughly like a flying saucer with scalloped sides, and is just all around adorable. Pattypan squash is a little bit tougher than other varieties of summer squash, making it a good choice for longer cooking and higher temperatures than your average zucchini. It’s great in stews, chili, and curries!
Zephyr Squash
Two-toned and generally tiny, the Zephyr squash has a yellow body with a dipped green bottom. It is a cross between a Delicata squash (yes, a winter squash!) and the yellow crookneck squash. Like other summer squash, zephyr’s seeds and skin are 100% edible, but the flesh is a little crisper and it has less moisture than the average zucchini. It also has a lovely nutty flavor.