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Sunday, September 9, 2012

What to do with Baby Patty Pan Squash


Steamed Patty Pan Squash with Basil and Sweet Butter
Baby Patty Pan Squash from the Dane County Farmers Market
     
I saw these adorable little babies at the White Rock Farmers Market in British Columbia back in July.  I had to buy one because they were so cute and I was totally unfamiliar with them.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't get around to actually doing anything with it (wedding planning madness and all) and it ended up spotty, mushy and in the trash.  So when I saw them again, in even smaller form, at the Dane County Farmers Market earlier this month, I had to get some more to experiment with. 


Of course the problem was that I had no idea what to do with patty pan squash.  I searched around a bit and found many people who said to bake them like regular squash.  But since my squash standby is always to bake them, I figured there had to be something else that would do justice to the cuteness factor of these.  I did find this recipe for super cute eggs baked in patty pan squash but I figured my own were too small to stuff.

Mixed Squash at the White Rock Farmers Market
Bowl of Patty Pan Squash from Dane County Market

























Somewhere along the way I found someone who suggested steaming them.  Since I've been so crazy about steaming kale lately, with my Steamed Kale and Beet Salad and Steamed Greens with Poached Eggs I figured I would go ahead and try steaming these delicate little bits of sunshine.  Since I also had a bunch of basil I thought I would try and incorporate that as well. 


Uhm.  Wow.  Did that whole steaming thing ever work out well. 

This was ridiculously awesome, and took like all of 8 minutes to do.  It's sweet and savory with a hint of basil.  Oh, and cheesy.  So very wonderful and cheesy.  Of course, if you can't handle dairy you can easily skip the cheese and it would still be fan-tabulous. 

I ate it all on its own for lunch, but I'm sure it would be great as a side dish for dinner.  I enjoyed it so much I bought another basket of patty pans to play around with this week.  I may grill them, or saute them.  They are so cheap (usually between $1-$2 per basket) that I don't mind spending a bit of cash to try and make these a gourmet side dish!

Steaming squash without a steamer
Ingredients: 

1 basket patty pan squash*
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar or honey
Approx. 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
Approx. 1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese or Parmesan (optional)
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Scrub the patty pan squash under water.  Trim the green top and bottom off the squash.  There is no need to peel the squash, the outside is totally edible.  Slice the sqaush about 1/2" thick.

2.  Layer the squash slices in a steamer, or in a metal strainer set up over a pot of boiling water with a large lid on top.  Steam for about 5 minutes, or until the squash slices soften and pale in colour slightly.

3. Transfer the squash into a bowl.  Add the butter and mix until the butter melts and coats the squash.  Sprinkle with sugar or drizzle with honey and salt.  Top with grated cheese, speckle the chopped basil over the squash and enjoy! 

Update Sept. 18, 2012 - I love these so much I've experimented some more, and have since made Thai Inspired "Posh" Patty Pan squash, a tangy, sauteed twist on these little guys.

I'd love to hear your suggestions for Patty Pan Squash, or summer squash in general!  Please share if you have a favorite recipe or an idea :)

*OAS Information:  If you have Oral Allergy Syndrome and generally have a problem with squash, you may find that the steaming the squash destroys the allergen protein, making it safe for you to eat. The heat, however is not very high so if you are very allergic you may want to boil or bake these at a higher heat, then season. If you are very allergic, you may want to avoid this one!


This post was shared on the following great sites: Musings of a Housewife, My Meatless Mondays, Made from Scratch Mondays, Melt in your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Just Another Meatless Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Tasteful Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Real Food Wednesday, Eat, Make, Grow, Gluten Free Fridays, Fresh Bites Fridays, Foodie Friday, Freaky Friday, Gluten Free Monday,     

12 comments:

  1. How cute are those pan patty squashes! I wouldn't have known what to do either, but now I do. THANKS!

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  2. Wow! This is a squash I am totally unfamiliar with. I'll bet grilling will be just as fabulous as steaming. Thanks for sharing your experience ☺ Do hope that you will pop in and link up this week. Have a great weekend!

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  3. I wish you had posted this about a month ago! I received some of these in my CSA box, and I tried breading and frying them, but they ended up soggy, greasy and flavorless :(
    This recipe looks more up my alley.
    Thanks for stopping by Eat Make Grow today!

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  4. Oh no! I'm so sorry they didn't turn out for you, Marigold. They seem to cook up really quick so I guess you have to watch them. Hopefully you'll have a chance to experiment with them again. That said, you could probably have a similar flavour with sliced zucchini.

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  5. I've always wondered what to do with these adorable squashes! Thanks so much for sharing :)
    -Dana

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  6. They are such cute squashes! I didn't know how to cook with them, now I know!! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! Its awesome bloggers like you that make our party wonderful! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :) See you next Friday! Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

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  7. Thanks, Cindy! That's very sweet of you :) I've finally gotten myself on Pinterest and I've followed you there, too.

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  8. I am a huge squash fan. Now I have a new one to try! I would love it if you visited my new Gluten-Free Monday party at OneCreativeMommy.com and linked up this and any other idea you would like to share. I hope to see you there.

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  9. This sounds amazing! I am pinning this for the summer! Thanks for the post... :)

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  10. I like to grill mine, I slice the patty pan long ways, brush them with olive oil, add my spices except for the salt. Salt them when they are finished cooking other wise they get soggy. Grill until tender Sometimes I add a little bit of Parmesan right before serving

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