Originally published in the Napa Valley Register on June 27, 2022
Every farmer has a favorite vegetable of the season. In the summer it could be eggplant, peppers, okra, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. For me, it is summer squash. Now before you gasp in horror that I chose what you may think of as a bland, watery vegetable over something sweet and colorful like a tomato, hear me out.
Summer squash are a joy for California farmers because they come into season in June, right during the Spring to Summer shoulder season. June is when the weather either favors cool-season Spring crops like lettuce and radishes, or it favors hot weather crops that love the heat but are not quite old enough to be productive. Luckily, summer squash are a relatively reliable early-summer crop because they grow quickly and fruit early.
On our farm we transplant our first succession of squash in early April and cover them with row cover to protect them from a late frost and cucumber beetles, and to give them a little extra warmth to speed up their maturity. The row cover is a messy, dusty, pain, but it is worth it when we get summer squash in May.
Over the summer we direct seed into the soil two more successions of summer squash and retire older successions. Organic summer squash plants eventually become overrun by beetles and aphids, and fresh successions help us have healthy and productive plants all season long. Other farmers may grow their summer squash in greenhouses or use Organic or non-Organic sprays to help mitigate pest and weather problems.
Once summer squash plants begin to produce, farmers harvest them 2-4 times a week. This is another benefit to summer squash, and a bane. Namely, you can almost always rely on having summer squash, but you also always have summer squash to harvest. Harvesting itself is a scratchy process that requires gloves to protect your skin from the plant’s trichomes and a small, hooked knife to sneak between the leaves and slice off the fruit (yes, summer squash is actually a fruit because it is the product of a pollinated flower). But in comparison to harvesting smelly tomatoes, dusty eggplant, and heavy melons, I find harvesting summer squash to be very meditative.
These are interesting reasons why a farmer may like summer squash, but why would I say it is my favorite summer vegetable? Because of its incomparable ability to feed you a delicious meal. If your meals are centered around vegetables rather than meat or dairy, then you are no novice to summer squash as an excellent “filler” vegetable. But instead of the bland, over-cooked zucchini you are used to seeing steamed and thrown on the side of steak, summer squash can be the rock-star of your meal.
There are hundreds of different summer squash varieties that come in all different shapes, sizes, textures, and tastes. This diversity alone lends itself to making you an exciting and colorful meal. My personal summer squash favorite is Costata Romanesco, a long squash with light and dark green stripes. It is highly ribbed, dense, snappy in texture, and has a thick skin that adds a bit of crunch and nutty flavor to each bite. The key to enjoying summer squash though is to not overcook them. Searing them on high heat in a not over-crowded pan will yield summer squash with a caramelized exterior and crunchy interior.
When you pick summer squash you always want to chose smaller, firmer squash. The bigger the squash the more seeds, pith, and water you get in ratio to the skin, where most of the nutrients and flavor is stored. If the squash are firm, you know they are fresh. But please forgive the farmer any odd shapes and scratched skin… harvesting the fruit without rubbing the skin on the rough leaves is hard.
The very best summer squash though are a mix of many different shapes and colors. On my farm we grow seven different varieties just so we can grow our “Mini Mélange”, a pint basket of all different mini summer squash that you can almost cook as-is. They are a lot of work to grow, harvest, and prep for market, but the finished product is just as beautiful as a flower bouquet.
So, if you are looking to eat more vegetables, or looking for a culinary change, reconsider one of the most delicious, nutritious, and beautiful vegetables that are currently in abundance at the Napa Farmers Market!