I personally love all kinds of squash – zucchini, yellow crookneck, butternut, spaghetti, acorn, kabocha… This year I planted two kinds of zucchini (‘Ambassador’ and ‘Dark Green’ – ‘Ambassador’ is my favorite of the two), yellow crookneck, butternut and spaghetti squash.
Interestingly, squash is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family which includes gourds, melons, cucumbers and squash but only the squash is believed to be native to the Americas. The word ‘squash’ comes from the Narragansett word “askutasquash,” and comes in a myriad of shapes, colors and sizes, from petite summer squash to 600-pound pumpkins. This food has been feeding us worldwide for nearly 10,000 years!
Yesterday, I decided to have some steamed squash for lunch and I walked through my garden to see what was ready. I picked an ‘Ambassador’ zucchini and crookneck yellow squash for steaming.
Then, I was curious to find out if my butternut and spaghetti squashes are ready. I picked one of each and tried them for dinner last night. They are ready – and delicious!
Curiously, I have two different looking butternut squashes from the same seeds – tan and this green striped. Anyone know why???
The primary nutritional value is loads of vitamin A, vitamin C, moderate B-complex vitamins, and the alkaline minerals (calcium, magnesium and potassium). Most of all they just taste delicious and will always be in my vegetable garden.
