Squash: My new discovery for 2011!

It wasn’t until a friend (a person from whom I get lots of free stuff) mentioned that she just ‘loves’ squash, that I decided to investigate the subject. (Brandy, you owe me)!

Firstly, I freely admit that I’ve never eaten even a morsel of any of the many varieties out there. As a member of the cucurbit family, botanically speaking a squash is actually a fruit (perhaps that’s the reason I've shied away?). In America, we often divide it into summer and winter varieties. So-called summer squash is harvested while it's still immature. These varieties can be served raw in salads because the rind has yet to toughen. This group includes zucchini, patty pan and crookneck. Their tender state requires they be eaten soon after harvest.

Winter squash varieties, like the Butternuts and Hubbard’s, are simply squash that are allowed to fully mature to the point where the rind becomes tough. (This allows the fruit to be stored until winter before being consumed; hence they are called winter squash). Duh! These guys must always be cooked first and the flesh scooped out.

I’m thinking, for my first go around, that I will want to try out the immature (summer) stuff first. Squash, from a nutritional standpoint, is often given an 'A' grade. So, I guess it does have something going for it. It’s prepared in numerous ways (you could say tortured) by mashing it, slicing it, frying it and baking it. It’s served raw on salads, in soups casseroles and yes, some weirdo’s even stuff the crap out of it! Sucks to be squash I guess. For my part, I think I’ll try Southern Fried Squash for my first go. I am a gentleman, after all. Now all I have to do is find someone who plans to grow it this season. Ah, that’s where my friend with the free stuff comes in. My plan will be to offer to buy her some squash seeds as a way of settling old scores (both her and her mom have plied me with lots of fresh eggs over the winter).

I hope to see you all later this growing season, when I plan to author a truthful and complete blog on the joys of eating this veggie that has a name which sounds like something you'd do to a bug! (Actually, in other parts of the world, notably in Central America where it originates, it’s called ‘Marrows’). I think I start calling it that. So, see you all to-marrows.