I'm always looking for new varieties of squash to grow that tastes good.
Especially fall growing varieties. Last fall we grew butternut and I sitll have some in the garage, they seem to store well out there.
I'm thinking about growing spegetti squash this summer, think it would last all winter in the garage?
what are some of your favorite summer and winter squash to grow.
I've grown blue hubbard, and no one seemed to like the taste of it.
What's your favorite squash to grow/eat
I'm quite content with yellow crookneck and grey zucchini. I was gifted some seeds of a keeper squash called Sugar Dumpling that sounds so good that I'm going to try it this year. They're all open pollinated and I save my seeds.
My favorite winter squashes and recipes:
Delicata squash with ginger
Blue Hubbard with maple butter
Butternut squash -- cranberry bake
Here's a link to the recipes: http://www.harvestwizard.com/tags/winter%20squash
Folks only seem to like the crook neck and straight neck here and the butternut and acorn squash. I hopign to try somedifferent stuff too.
I like the northern winter squashes but they don't grow well here ~ butternut and acorn. This year am planting spaghetti and peter pan summer squash. We'll see.... Meanwhile, I'll watch here for other suggested favorites.
I'm a big fan of butternut and spaghetti as well (to eat) and I'm going to try to grow them for the first time this year.
I also got some Raven zuccinni that supposedly does well with short northern growing seasons, so we'll see. I'll be interested to see more suggestions as well.
I think Buttercup is the best eating winter squash. It is a good size for two, the texture and flavor are excellent and my wife likes them because she can cut into them without my help. They don't keep as well as some of the others but they are eaten quickly so that isn't much of an issue.
Sweat Meat is a good keeper and has good flavor and texture. It grows better in the heat than Buttercup.
I like Fairytale because it is decorative and has good flavor and it keeps well.
Sunburst summer squash produces early, has good flavor and stays tender even when picked over size and is attractive.
Zeuspaul
I'll have to look those squashes up paul. I've not heard of some of them,
I think I'd like to try the sweet dumpling this fall also.
I've grown the zepher, no body was too impressed with the taste. and I've grown several different varieties of patty pan which we pick very little. and are full of excellent flavor.
I will be trying the sweet dumpling this year, too. I've never grown them, but I've had them from the grocery store and they're so tasty that you don 't need to add any kind of sweetener.
I had a disappointing experience last year with my summer squash. Both the yellow and the zucchini developed into big, pear shaped fruit rather than the traditional shape, and were rather devoid of flavor. I don't remember where the seeds were from - my new year's resolution is to keep better records!
I think the patty pan types are beautiful, but I've never grown them because I don't know how to cook them.
Patty pans are big sellers here...especially when I make squash pie for customers to sample
The pan squash are also being peeled and chunked, seasoned, oiled and grilled alone or with other vegies. Sounds really good and I hope to try some later this summer.
Gosh I'm getting hungry, LOL squash pie? care to share the recipe Peggy? sounds interesting.
I just saute my patty pans in a little olive oil and seasonings, so good YUM!! I pick them when their tiny too about 2 inches I'm so anxious for the gardening season to begin.
I think i'm going to start another thread, finding out which veggies everybody is going to go. Ya'll go look for the thread.
Wait a minute ~ before you leave... what blend of seasoning do you use on the patty pans?
Shorter season here for warm weather crops. But every year I grow squash it does well, LOL - sometimes too well. (Territorial seeds is geared towards short season areas.)
Summer: Gold Rush & Patty Pan
Winter: Delicata & I can't decide between Fairy or Gold Nugget...
Patty pans: Sliced & Grilled, or sauteed in Olive oil with garlic & a few shakes of nutmeg. delicious.
Podster - seasonings can be as simple as salt & pepper, to garlic, to marinades (like a teriyaki or Kalbi) to whatever. Summer squash are a great vehicle for whatever flavour you put with them. I tend to season according to what they are being served with. But the favourite at my house is sauteed in olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg, fresh garlic & finished with a nice parmesan or feta cheese. Takes about 5 minutes total. I like fast & easy!
That does sound good and the nutmeg adds an interesting twist. Thanks... pod
I use onion powder, garlic powder, fresh parsley chopped up some times I mix in some fresh basil, or fresh thyme, sometimes I put a tad of butter in it also. it's so good. alittle salt and pepper. not much salt though
the nutmeg sounds delicious. and different.
Katye, that sounds delicious! I'm going to try it as soon as I can find some summer squash.
Btw, how do you pronounce the town you're from? I drive right by there on I-90 on the way to my son's place on Whidbey Island - in fact, the lake is my clue to get in the right lane - and I keep wondering.....
OH my , looky what I found!!
sounds wonderful . I'll have to copy and save these.
http://labellecuisine.com/Archives/Veggies/sunburst_squash_stuffed_with_spi.htm
http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/31/167359.shtml
Look , a whole page of squash recipes
http://www.traxfarms.com/recipes/squash_rec.htm
yet even more recipes
http://consciouschoice.com/2001/cc1408/cooking1408.html
Great suggestion about the nutmeg! I would never have thought of that.
My favorite zukes are the Italian ones that are ribbed, like Costata Romanesco. They are firmer for grilling and not so watery for other uses.
I love Patty Pans, which I think I got in a swap with Kathy_ann.
My favorite winter squash is Delicata and a buttercup from Fedco, Uncle David's Dakota Dessert. ;)
Some of the new varieties of single size servings coming out look very interesting. I think I prefer the larger sizes just because I love squash.
I am trying the sweet meat this year.
Oh, and speaking about different ways to cook squash. If you haven't already tried it, squash is good in enchiladas with black beans. Great sub for meat.
I am trying some bush acorns, too. I really like to be able to split one and serve it at dinner.
Hi cyndie, we did trade, I grew that uncle david's dakota desert squash.. and another one you gave me last year , that looks like a miniature spegetti squash. I can't remember their names though. they were delicious. I still have a few of them both left in the garage. I love trading squash seeds, and trying new varieties. I have been looking through parks seeds at their squash varieties. I think i'm going to try a couple of them.
Maybe we can do another swap if you are interested. I am sure I have some new ones this year. I always do. LOL
I'll look and see what I have, I have't bought my seeds for this year yet, but going to soon,
Mace is good on squash, too. I prefer it to nutmeg.
Butternut is my favorite for eating, but it doesn't like to grow for me.
L Tilton, what does grow good for you?
Maybe we could find a different variety of Butternut that would be successful.
Ijust looked up the uncle david's dakota desert squash Now I remember, that one died off from powder mildew never produced any sqush for me. so we didn't get to try this one.
Last year, Fairy grew well, the year before, Acorn did.
I keep trying different Butternut varieties but can't remember what they were.
Jayne: Suh - mam'- mish.
Next time you're out this way & if you've got a bit of time, do go to Wells Medina Nursery (Bellevue);
and Squak Mtn Nursery (Issaquah). Both are on the way to Whidbey Island, along with several other nurseries.
Of course, if you need a Nursery Tour Guide, that can be arranged. =:0)
Cyndie: dittos on the squash in enchiladas - very very nice...
have you grown bush acorns before? I have seen a couple, but they were 85 -100 days. That's pushing the envelope here, unless we get one of those wonderful Tomato summers. Typically, summer here is classified more appropriately as a "Cabbage" summer.
Kathy,
This may be boring to you, but we really love early prolific straight-neck yellow squash. It produces well and tastes good!
David
Zephyr summer squash does well over here, family favorite. trying Parthenon zucchini for the first time this season.
Are you kidding? I'm loving this thread. Nothng could bore me here LOL
What are bush acorns? And squah in enchiladas. Now that a new twist.
Fiffle.. cute lookign squash. How do they compare in taste to say straightneck or crooked?
Katye, I have grown the bush acorns before, but not in recent years. I will check and see the days on the one I have.
I start all of my squash inside 2-3 weeks before I intend to plant them out. Then they get hardened off in my portable green house.
I have a lot of success doing that if I don't let them get too large. The jiffy pellets allow me to do that, since I am not juggling the roots taking them out of a pot and replanting.
This is one variety of bush acorn:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/61072/
greyzini
The last bush I did was "Cream of the Crop" .
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57085/
I love the look of the Zephyr. That would be a draw at a market.
wow, liked the looks of the cream of the crop acorn.
I might be over crowded on winter squash this year.
I see that both are shorter season, so that's a go for me.
The past few years I have taken note of the ornamental qualities of produce in the garden.
I let one of the patty pans grow until frost last fall - it measured 10" in diameter, and as it grew larger, produced a huge dark green "star" on one side. Very striking.
I assumed it would be very pithy in the middle, and mostly seed. Wrong - it was meaty throughout, and while the taste was not as strong, it did make for some good eating.
Cream of the Crop - easier to spot than the typical green.
acorn, blue hubbard and delicata all do well for me if started mid-to late summer and grown into fall when the humidity cuts some. Can't say how they store though--they either get eaten pretty quick or someone sees some and wants to "re-home" them (I really need to practice the art of just saying no)
I like a lot of different summer squashes and they all do well--I like that Zephyr too. Its definitely the "prettiest" growing squash and tastes decent too.
remind me to post squash pie recipe later when my hub's is home from hospital
Peggy
please do post squash pie recipe! sounds good...
:)