The tender varieties of squash with edible skin, flesh and seeds are commonly known as “summer squash”. Lucky for us, we don’t have to wait for summertime to enjoy zucchini and yellow squash. The season is picking up already now, in April, and will continue to gain momentum, becoming more and more abundant, through July. Pattypan squash is another variety of summer squash. Shaped like a fluted flying saucer, and slightly more dense and sweet than zucchini, pattypan will be available later in the season because fewer organic growers have it available than the more common varieties.
Nutrients in summer squash include manganese, vitamin C, beta carotene, magnesium, fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamin K as well as some omega 3 fatty acids calcium, iron, and B vitamins.
Zucchini and yellow squash taste fantastic cooked on a grill; that method really brings out their sweetness. Summer squash is tasty raw in salads or crudités, and can be incorporated into stir fries, hot or chilled soups, and a number of inventive recipes. Because these squash become so abundant when spring progresses into summer, cooks and gardeners have come up with creative ways to prepare them. Yellow squash and pattypan substitute easily for zucchini in any recipe. Check out the chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe included in this newsletter—it’s a great way to eat your vegetables! Sarah Aubry
Sweet, tart, plump, red and juicy: welcome to strawberry season! Like many fruits and vegetables that we’ve grown accustomed to having almost year-round, strawberries are still best to eat in season. Strawberries are at their most flavorful and plentiful from April right up through July. Strawberry shortcake, strawberries with cream, strawberry-rhubarb pie, strawberries topping green salad, strawberries starring in fruit salad, strawberry parfait, strawberry cheesecake, strawberry ice cream, strawberry tarts—anyway you slice them, heart-shaped strawberries are the best loved berry-type fruit in the world. (For an article explaining that strawberries are not actually berries, or even fruit, click here: 