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Summer Squash Photos

post #1 of 14
6/8/07 at 9:21am
Thread Starter 
Does anyone have a link to a site that has photos and descriptions of various varieties of summer squash? I bought a lot of new-to-me varieties yesterday and didn't write down what all of them were.

It's interesting to note that one vendor at the farmers Market had more than a dozen varieties of summer squash at their stand, and I've never seen more than for or five in the various storesaround here.

Shel
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post #2 of 14
6/8/07 at 9:35am
try here:
Squash, All About Squash, Summer Squash and Winter Squash
Luc
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post #3 of 14
6/8/07 at 9:42am
Wow! A dozen varieties is a bunch. Other than my own garden I've never seen that many in one place.

Let me make some guesses:

1. Several zucchini. There are different versions of the long green we're all familiar with, varying primarily by the number, color, and size of the stripes. There are semi-fluted ones. And there are round ones. The last few years have seen a plethora of colored zukes as well, including yellow, white, gold, and what is called black but isn't.

2. Pattypan (i.e., scallop). There are about a half-dozen colors of these; solids and stripes.

3. "Yellow" summer. These come in straight-neck and crooked-neck versions, with the crooked-neck the historically earlier---it's preColumbian---and better tasting. Then there are some modern hybrids, like Zepher, which are bi-colored green and yellow.

4. Offbeats. Varieties like Lemon Squash, which resembles its namesake in size and coloration.

5. Marrows. Not all that common in the U.S., marrow squashes should do well in the SF area, because they do better with cooler, damper nights. If this vendor is specializing in summer squashes, it would't surprise me at all to find he's growing marrows.

I don't know any one place you can find pix and descriptions. I would look at the websights for Johnny's Select Seed; Baker Creek Heirloom Seed, Victory Seed, and the SSE public catalog.
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post #4 of 14
6/8/07 at 9:45am
Thread Starter 

Here's a pic of one that I'd like to identify

Hi Luc,

I've been to that site and it's mostly winter squash, and non of the varieties that I bought yesterday are shown or described at the site.

Here's a pic of one that I'd like to identify. Anyone know what this one is?



Shel
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post #5 of 14
6/8/07 at 9:54am
Thread Starter 
I'm going to make a point of taking a camera on my next visit and photograph anything I want to remember.

Zepher (Zephyr?) sounds like one of the types I bought.

These squash are not grown in the SF area, but in various farming communities where the weather is substantially diffewrent - hotter and dryer for the most part.

Thanks for the seed site reccos.

See the pic I posted in another message. That's one I'd like to identify. I ate one of the others in a frittata for breakfast before I thought to photograph it. It was yellow but had a light green bottom, like it was dipped in paint. I love that one for its looks alone.

Shel
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post #6 of 14
6/8/07 at 10:04am
looks like cocozella(!?)

(if not, I give up!)

Luc
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post #7 of 14
6/8/07 at 11:21am
I thought they were thicker at the blossom end Luc, and didn't have stripes?

I'm thinking this is one of the zucchini; looks like a black zuke to me.
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post #8 of 14
6/8/07 at 11:28am
>It was yellow but had a light green bottom, like it was dipped in paint. I love that one for its looks alone.<

Sounds like the Zephyr, Shel. Johnny's had introduced it a few years ago. Now there are several variations, differing primarily in how dark the green is.

Johnny's version was also more of a crookneck, in that the thin neck curled over. But it didn't have the warts common to crookneck varieties.

You're right, it's a gorgeous looking thing. Wish it was OP so I could grow it.

In addition to a camera you should always carry a memo pad when visiting places like that. You just can't remember everything you saw and discussed unless you write it down. At least I can't.
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post #9 of 14
6/8/07 at 11:36am
another site resembling the photo...
Zucchini Squash Seed Summer Selections -


found it!!!!
Italian Romanesco squash (AKA Italian zucchini)
http://www.writerguy.com/deb/recipes...mmersquash.jpg

Luc
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post #10 of 14
6/8/07 at 12:52pm
Thread Starter 
Yep, that's it - Costata Romanesco. I saw a pic at the site KY mentioned. In addition, I grabbed some mediterannean squash and the Rond de Nice, also shown at your link.

Thanks gang! When done tasting all of these it'll be time to look for some recipe and cooking ideas. Regular zucchini and yellow squash seems so bland now :roll:

Shel
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post #11 of 14
6/8/07 at 1:08pm
That's not necessarily a bad thing. My favorite zucchini is to cut in long lengths, brush with olive oil and season with lemon pepper (butter and S&P might be better, but I have to watch my sodium) and then grill.
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post #12 of 14
6/8/07 at 1:09pm
Thread Starter 
[quote=KYHeirloomer;176221You're right, it's a gorgeous looking thing. Wish it was OP so I could grow it.
[quote]

What's "OP?"

scb
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post #13 of 14
6/8/07 at 1:20pm
I would guess OP is open pollinating
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post #14 of 14
6/8/07 at 1:53pm
Close enough, Phil. It stands for open pollinated, and is the antithisis of hybrid.

Unlike hybrids, OPs breed true to type. In the absence of cross-pollination or mutation, the kiddies will look just like the parents.

Nobody truly concerned with agricultural sustainability will have anything to do with hybrids.

But that's the subject of a different thread.
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