Summer squash, particularly the yellow variety, is a very popular vegetable in the South. You'll find it fresh, frozen, or canned at any time of the year.

Easy to grow and prolific, summer squashes are perfect for any size garden. For best flavor and most tender seeds, squash should be picked young, from 6 to 10 inches long. Pattypan, a saucer-shaped squash, should be no more than 4 inches in diameter.

Summer squash can be served raw with other vegetables as part of a vegetable platter with dips, in salads, grilled, broiled, steamed, stir-fried, deep-fried, boiled, baked, or stuffed. Because of its mild flavor, it can be added to almost any main-dish recipe or pasta sauce for texture, flavor, and color.

Use herbs and spices to enhance the flavor of mild summer squash. Dill, pepper, basil, marjoram, chives, and mint are particularly well-suited to squash, and it is delicious cooked with garlic, onions, and tomatoes.

Summer squash bruises easily and should be handled with care. Look for firm, glossy skin; fairly heavy for size. Stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator, they should keep for a week. Freezing softens the flesh of the squash, but it will still be usable in casseroles and other dishes where crispness is not important. Blanch cut up summer squash 2 minutes before freezing, and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. For breads, freeze the raw squash whole or grated.

The “Get Warm with Chili, Soups, & Stews” Kitchen Fork Contest

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