The Whole Food Journal

Every summer it seems like everyone in the world grows zucchini squash and can’t figure out what to do with the excess of this super producer.  In small town America where I live at least one gardener leaves bags of the vegetable at the post office for anyone that wants them.  Some people dislike zucchini (and squash by any other name) so much you can’t force them to take your extras.  While all this is going on both zucchini and yellow squash are available in the produce department for more than a buck-fifty a pound.  Go figure.

I grow zucchini and old fashioned yellow crookneck squash every summer.  There are several reasons why.  First, it’s got to be one of the easiest vegetables to grow.  Secondly, the giant plants produce so rapidly it can make you think you are your own master gardener.  And, the real reason I grow both the yellow and green squash is that when picked very young they make the very best stir-fry ingredients ever.  Any good cookbook will have recipes for using more mature squash in everything from baked goods to soups.

Finally, I let a few big ones just grow and grow and grow.  Then I save their seeds (you will NEVER need all of them, but I save them anyway) to do it all over again next season.  Speaking of seeds, you can dry them in your oven with your favorite seasoning and have a high-fiber, nutritious snack anytime.  Because I like to dehydrate foods, and the nutrient level is highest near the outer wall, I remove most of the inside and cut the remaining peel in chunks, then dehydrate.  During the winter they are a colorful and nutritious addition to most any soup or stew.

So, how did zucchini squash survive all these hundreds of years as one of the most popular vegetables to grow?  Historians note that early Italians considered zucchini and yellow crookneck squash to be a “cure” for liver ailments because of it’s natural, organic sodium levels.  Could that be why steamed or stir-fried green and yellow squash is SO good with pasta, not to mention Asian food?  

How much squash to grow in your garden is your choice.  Just be sure you remember these are large and sprawling plants.  A border area works fine for me.  Most likely for the average backyard garden one or two plants of each will be plenty.  I do plant two, just in case one doesn’t make it.  As for nutrition, all vegetables from your garden are loaded with vitamins and minerals.  You can’t go wrong with zucchini or yellow crookneck squash because it is one of the most versatile of all the vegetable kingdom.  You will be surprised how often you can add squash to whatever it is you’re cooking.  And, in the fall you can use the mature fruits for stunning autumn decorations right along with the pumpkins and goblins.  Then recycle them into your compost pile.  Now, doesn’t that make you love all squashes? 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 4:48 pm and is filed under Whole Food 101. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.