Zucchini

An immature winter squash

Zucchini, yellow squash, pattypan, and crookneck are all Cucurbita pepo — the same species as pumpkins and acorn squash. The difference is when they’re harvested. Summer squashes (zucchini included) are picked young, while the rind is still tender enough to eat. Winter squashes are left on the vine to mature, develop a hard inedible rind, and store for months. A zucchini left to grow becomes a giant marrow with woody seeds and pithy flesh.

A modern Italian invention

Despite the name (zucca meaning “gourd” in Italian), zucchini are an Italian refinement of an originally American crop. Cucurbita pepo was domesticated in Mexico thousands of years ago. Italian growers in the late 19th century selected for the slim, soft-skinned, mild form we know now. The variety crossed back to the Americas in the early 20th century with Italian immigrants.

A water-management problem

Zucchini is over 94% water. Cooked carelessly, it weeps water into the pan and steams in its own juice rather than browning. To prevent this:

• Salt sliced or grated zucchini and let it rest 15 minutes; squeeze out the liquid before cooking.
• Cook over higher heat in smaller batches.
• Use the watery output strategically — for zucchini bread, where moisture is desirable.

The blossom

Squash blossoms are edible — pale orange, delicate, and only available from a backyard garden or a specialist farmers’ market because they don’t ship. Stuffed with ricotta, lightly battered, and fried, they’re an Italian summer specialty. Pick male blossoms (those that won’t develop into fruit) so the harvest can continue.

A glut crop

Home gardeners are famously unable to give away enough zucchini. A single mature plant produces a fruit a day during peak summer. The August zucchini glut has produced cookbooks, pickling guides, and the running joke of leaving anonymous zucchini on neighbors’ porches.