How to Grow and Cook Summer Squash

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Early summer brings the riches of summer squash for the gardener-cook to be prepared in nearly limitless ways and with a multitude of flavors to delight those who dine at her table.
Early summer brings the riches of summer squash for the gardener-cook to be prepared in nearly limitless ways and with a multitude of flavors to delight those who dine at her table.
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Squash plants produce more male blossoms than they need, so you can harvest some to use in the kitchen.
Squash plants produce more male blossoms than they need, so you can harvest some to use in the kitchen.
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Pick summer squash often — and watch for hidden 'monsters' — to keep the plant producing.
Pick summer squash often — and watch for hidden 'monsters' — to keep the plant producing.

Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) is the first fruiting vegetable to appear in the summer garden, long before the first tomato is ripe. Maybe by August the squash will seem ordinary, but now — with squash blossoms sounding their golden trumpets — the season has officially begun. The flowers held aloft on a slender stem are male. The female ones look similar, but at their base there is a small bump that will, in a few days, become a delicious little squash — ready to pick.

Summer squash takes varied forms, from the standard green zucchini to the bright yellow squash (crookneck or straight); from round ones, such as ‘Ronde de Nice,’ to flat, scalloped pattypan. Most grow on large, bushy plants; exceptions include the heirloom Italian “trombone” squash (such as ‘Zucchetta Rampicante’), which trails on long vines and has a denser texture. All squash types are mild-tasting, which, on the one hand, makes them non-threatening to those put off by strong vegetable flavors, but on the other hand, issues a call to action for the creative cook. When I cook summer squash, I rely on its light background flavor to overlay with the more complex notes of herbs.

As luck would have it, early summer heralds the best time in the herb garden — when foliage is at its freshest, the essential oils that give herbs their flavors are the most powerful, and flowers for garnishing often bloom. Perennial herbs, such as sage, tarragon and thyme, and annuals, such as dill and parsley, will spark up squash dishes.

Tips for Growing Summer Squash

Choose a sunny site where cucurbits, such as squash, cucumbers and melons, have not grown recently. Hungry squash plants prefer fertile soil rich in organic matter. When the soil has warmed to at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit, sow three seeds each in hills spaced 3 feet apart. When seedlings emerge, thin to one.

  • Published on Apr 21, 2014
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