Summer squash are tender and deliciously mild; steamed, with a pat of butter or a drizzle of olive oil and some salt, they can be divine. They’re also often found in combination with other summer produce like eggplant and tomato.
Beyond the commonplace yellow squash and zucchini, there is the adorable flying saucer–shaped pattypan with its scalloped edge, bright colors (yellow and light or dark green), and variety of sizes. There’s also the chayote, or mirliton as it’s called in the South. It looks somewhat like an avocado with its bright-green, wrinkled exterior skin (sometimes covered with spines), and has pale-yellow to white semitranslucent flesh with a texture similar to a melon. The flavor is so mild it picks up that of whatever you cook it with. Use it raw in salads or cooked like any summer squash. Other forms of summer squash — there are many — can be treated the same way as you would zucchini.
Buying and storing Look for smaller, plump, firm, unblemished specimens. Everyone laughs at big zucchini and though those monsters are edible, the small ones are really better; anything over an inch or certainly 2 inches diameter is a candidate for pancakes or bread. For pattypan, select ones under 3 inches in diameter; the older, larger ones, usually white, have bland flesh and tough skin. For chayote, heavy wrinkles usually mean it was left on the vine too long; choose those with the least wrinkled skin. Store wrapped loosely in plastic in the refrigerator; use as quickly as possible, especially if they are fresh from the garden or farm.
Preparing For yellow squash and zucchini, trim the ends and slice or chop as you like; no need to peel. Leave pattypan whole if tender enough or halve them. Peeling chayote is optional. Halve through the stem end and remove the seed. Leave as halves or chop or slice as you like.
Best cooking methods Steaming, sautéing, braising (chayote), roasting, frying, grilling
When is it done? When tender but not falling apart; pierce with a skewer or thin-bladed knife to check.
Other vegetables you can use Summer squashes are fairly interchangeable.