Zucchini plethora

The green or yellow summer squash creates consternation in many a cook who's run out of ideas for this prolific vegetable.
In addition to the recipes included in this section, try these ideas:
- For a salad, shred zucchini and dress it with Dijon mustard and olive oil. Or thinly slice 2 zucchini, toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt, after 20 minutes, press out the moisture, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sesame oil and a few fine strips of red pepper.

- For kebobs, cut it in chunks, brush with teriyaki sauce and grill.
- Add cubes to pasta sauce. - Slice it into spaghetti-lice strips and add to boiling spaghettifor the last 30 seconds.
- Cut sticks for crudités and serve with dip. - Slice zucchini into rounds to top a Zucchini Varieties .


Zucchini Varieties

Zucchini, or Italian (Courgette in French,) is generally cucumber-sized, but can range from a few inches to over a foot. The flesh is white or pale green, the skin green, subtly streaked with white, and the stem end has somewhat of a square shape.

Golden zucchini is exactly the same except the skin is yellow, although the stem remains green.

English zucchini is somewhat more bulbous with a skin that is almost evenly streaked with white and green.

Cocozelle or Italian marrow squash is very much like zucchini but with more pronounced dark green and white strips and a thicker, more tubular shape. Yellow crookneck squash has a medium to bright yellow exterior accented by a slightly bumpy texture. It has a bottle shape with a narrow, gently curved neck. The flesh is similar to that of a zucchini, but with more obvious seeds.

Yellow Straightneck is similar to the crookneck, except that its neck does not curve. The flesh is similar to that of a zucchini, but with more obvious seeds. Scaloppini squash looks like a zucchini that has been compressed into the shape of a top, or perhaps a small turban with a scalloped edge. Its flesh is similar to a zucchini.

Pattypan squash is somewhat flatter and pale green or white than the Scaloppini.

Sunburst is a bright yellow pattypan with a green stem.

Sunburst is a bright yellow pattypan with a green stem.

Squash Blossoms are the flowers from both soft and hard-shelled squash. They come in varying shades of yellow and orange, with a flavor similar to the squash itself. Use as a garnish, either slivered or whole, for almost everything from soup to main dishes, or use them to add color and flavor to salads.