Do you ever wonder how zucchini got its name? I was thinking about this over the weekend. Zucchini is a squash, just like the common yellow summer squash, crooked neck, straight neck, butternut squash, and spaghetti squash. So, why does zucchini get its own name instead of just being called green squash? There is a common saying, "all zucchini are squash, but not all squash are zucchini". Maybe this was on my mind because the zucchini growing on the farm has started to get picked for harvest, and for eating. I love squash, and have cooked up some yellow squash, and onions recently, and this past weekend I sauteed zucchini and onions, which was incredibly delicious! Turns out after googling, the name zucchini originates from the Italian word "zucchino," which originates from the word "zucca," which means squash in Italian. This has got me thinking about what recipes are curated from Italy? I usually cook yellow squash and zucchini with onions in a pan, and sauté over medium high heat in the fat renderings from our bacon we cook for breakfast. We save the leftover grease in a jar until needing an oil to cook something. I also like to make a squash casserole with yellow squash, Now, that we are harvesting squash, you can bet squash casserole is on our weekend menu. I like to top it with fried onions, or the traditional buttered Ritz crackers. Summer favorites surely include squash and zucchini, however, I have not used Zucchini in a squash casserole, but I want to make it soon because the zucchini we organically grow tastes sweet! It is not bitter. Another way, I like to cook zucchini is on the grill with chicken, in a kabob style with large slices of onions. Yes, there seems to be pattern here, squash, zucchini and onions pair together perfectly! We only have a few squash and zucchini for sale, and they are available to order this week. We have a small amount coming in right now, but we are growing it all summer, so we will have more.

Leave a comment below how you like to make squash and zucchini. I would love to know!

If you are looking for me, I will be in the garden with my chickens. - Susan

Image by Desha from pixabay.com