Summer Squashes

Summer squashes have been bred into a delightful variety of shapes. There are scallops or pattypans, flat and scalloped around the edges; crooknecks and straight necks, with constricted stem ends; elongated vegetable marrows, or zucchinis; acorn squash; and distinctive Middle Eastern and Asian types as well. Some are green-skinned, some vibrantly yellow with carotenoid pigments, some variegated, and all have a pale, delicately spongy flesh that softens quickly when cooked. They’re sweetest when picked young, and keep for a few weeks at 45–50°F/7–10°C.