During my childhood, one of the staples of the summer was the vegetable garden in our backyard. Starting in February, my dad would plant seeds in old milk cartons on the kitchen windowsill, so that he'd have an array of seedlings to set in the garden when the weather got warm enough. In addition to the standard garden offerings, he'd plant some more unusual veggies, including my personal favorite, the pattypan squash. It looks more like a flying saucer than a vegetable, but once you get past the unconventional shape, you will discover that it is an amazingly tender and flavorful squash. You won't necessarily find these guys in the regular grocery stores, but they are appearing in a lot of farmers' markets and in some Whole Foods/Wild Oats/New Seasons-type stores.
My favorite way to cook pattypans is to cut them up into pieces that resemble wedges of pie and then steam it until it is fork-tender. I don't have any fancy steaming apparatus, I just put an inch or two of water into the bottom of a pot that has a good lid and simmer away. When they are done, drain them, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder and dab them with a bit of butter. I've been known to eat a couple of these guys for dinner with a scoop of cottage cheese on the side, but they also make a good, easy-going side dish.
photo by Marisa McClellan
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