Summer Squash – Zucchini and Crook Neck

Summer squash comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and  colors. 

Yellow squash, also known as crook neck or generically just “summer squash” tends to grow about 6 to 8 inches long.  It’s bulbous at the blossom end ( bottom) and narrow at the stem (top) end.  If you fail to pick in a timely way, it doesn’t get huge like zucchini.  Instead it gets knobby and hard skin.  Not good.  

Bad news.  Summer squash doesn’t freeze very well.  It tends to go all watery on you.  There are some other preservation options, and we’ll get to those in due course.  If you’re not interested in pickling, canning, drying, or leaving squash on your neighbor’s doorstep in the wee hours, get your gardener to stop planting so much summer squash.  I’ve got mine limited to one zucchini and one crook neck plant.  Period. 

In the meantime, eat as much fresh squash as you can while the harvest is fresh.  It doesn’t get any better than this.

Two ideas –

Crook Neck Squash

Slice the yellow squash into circles about 1/2 inch thick.  Put these in a saucepan with an equal amount of sliced onions, a bit of salt and pepper (I like lots of pepper), and just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.  Simmer until the vegetables are soft but still hold their shape.  Over cooking the squash will cause it to fall apart.  Eat and enjoy.

Stewed Zucchini

Slice the zucchini into circles about 1/2 inch think.  Put these in saucepan with an equal amount of quartered tomatoes (unpeeled is OK) and sliced onions.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until the vegetables are soft.  Use a pair of tongs to lift out the tomato peels.  Yum!