Season of Squash

OK, so it's after labor Day. Can you still eat summer squash? Or does it have to be like wearing white? A faux pas? What about winter squash? Do you only eat it in January or on a snowy day? The answer is no. You can have squash anytime you like.

This native American vegetable comes in sixteen (yes sixteen !!!) different varieties. The most popular is the acorn squash, a staple of fall cuisine. This can be baked and the shell usually filled with butter. Another popular type is the spaghetti whose innards resemble the pasta. In fact for a very healthy "pasta" dish, try spaghetti squash with various sauces. Remember that squash in high in potassium, folate and Vitamin A and always low in calories.

Zucchini , that garden must, is the squash most people eat in quantity. My Piedmontese relatives as well as my Mom make fried zucchini flowers. These are either dipped in a crepe batter or bread crumbs and quickly fried in butter. They can also be stuffed (this ls a favorite in nearby Provence). More mature zucchini can be sliced and sauteed in garlic and oil. This makes a tasty and nutritious side and also can be easily frozen.

Don't save squash for just one season. You can eat this veggie all year round to appreciate its' taste and nutritional value. Eat winter squash at the end of summer if you want and summer squash during the season's first blizzard.