I love 'em just baked with the spuds et al. Use them much as you do zucchini - grated into quiche. Or chop into chunks and fry with garlic or any other herbs you fancy.

These herbs go well with squash: Basil, Caraway, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Dill, Ginger, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Savory.

You can also chop them into chunks of desired size and include them in pickles. You can adapt any zucchini-type pickles or relish to use squash.

Make a Zucchini Cake and use the squash instead:

Zucchini Lemon Muffins
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini
3/4 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl, and make a well in centre of mixture. Combine zucchini, milk, oil, and egg, stir well. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Divide batter evenly among 12 greased muffin cups. Bake at 200C for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans immediately, and let cool on a wire rack.

Carrot and Zucchini Slice
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and ginger. Mix well. In another large bowl combine remaining ingredients, except icing. Mix well. Add carrot mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Spread in a lightly greased 33x23cm baking dish. Bake at 180C for 25 minutes or until mixture test done. Place on a wire rack and cool completely. Frost with icing. Cover and store in refrigerator.

Citrus Cream Cheese Icing
250g cream cheese
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon essence

Combine all ingredients; beat until smooth.

Zucchini and Carrot Cake
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups castor sugar
1 cup oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups plain wholemeal flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecan nuts

Beat eggs until light and foamy, add sugar, vanilla and oil, beat until thick and creamy. Stir in zucchini and carrot. Gently fold in remaining ingredients. Pour into 2 loaf tins and bake at 180°C for about one hour. When cool, spread with topping, or just slice and butter.

Topping:
60g butter
125g cream cheese
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup skim milk powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Cream butter and cheese. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.

Zucchini and Walnut Cake
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
2 medium zucchini, unpeeled
1/4 cup cornflour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons candied lemon peel, finely minced
icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter the sides of a 20x5cn cake tin, line the base with a circle of baking parchment and butter the parchment. Using a nut mill, grind walnuts to flour. Using the same nut mill, grind zucchini into fine shreds. There should be 1 cup, firmly packed. Place in a sieve and press out the liquid. Combine cornflour, rice flour, baking powder and salt. Beat eggs with sugar until lemon-coloured and very thick. A lifted beater should leave a slowly dissolving trail of batter. Using a large rubber spatula, lightly fold in grated walnuts and minced lemon peel. Fluff up zucchini shreds and fold in. Sift flour mixture over batter and quickly fold in, retaining as much volume as possible. Pour into prepared pan and bake for40 minutes, until a tester comes out dry. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before unmoulding onto a rack. Peel off paper, reverse onto rack right side up, and let cool completely. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Zucchini Cake
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups castor sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup oil
2 cups grated zucchini, skin left on
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
3 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Beat eggs, add sugar, vanilla and oil. Beat until thick. Stir in dry ingredients and nuts. Pour into a 20cm square tin. Bake 1-1 1/2 hours at 180°C.

Icing:
30g butter
60g cream cheese
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1 1/2 cups icing sugar

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy, add rind and icing sugar, beat until smooth.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups castor sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups self raising flour
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups grated zucchini
1 1/2 cups chocolate pieces

Beat eggs until light and fluffy, gradually add sugar, vanilla and oil. Beat until thick, add flour and cinnamon, combine, and add zucchini and chocolate pieces, mix well. Bake atn180°C 40-45 minutes. Stand 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack.

Sour cream frosting:
Melt 125g chocolate, add 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup icing sugar.

Zucchini Cake with Orange Frosting
2 cups grated raw zucchini
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups castor sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat eggs until thick and creamy, gradually beat in sugar, then oil, beating constantly until mixture thickens. Combine flour and cinnamon. Add flour alternately with zucchini, mixing until just combined. Fold in walnuts, raisins and vanilla. Pour mixture into two greased loaf tins. Bake at 180°C until cooked, about 1 hour. Cool for 5 minutes in tins, remove to wire racks. When cold, ice with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
80g cream cheese
3 teaspoons orange juice
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar

Beat together all ingredients until smooth.

Stuffed Pattypan Squash
16 pattypan squash (about 3cm in diameter
1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 green onions, with tops, chopped
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Heat 2cm water to boiling. Add squash. Cook 6-8 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Cut off stem ends. Hollow out squash; reserve squash shells. Chop squash meat finely. Mix squash and remaining ingredients except cheese. Spoon 1 heaped teaspoon of filling into each squash shell. Sprinkle with cheese. Place in ungreased 23cm square pan. Bake uncovered 10 to 12 minutes or until hot.

Squash Fritters
4 cups grated, pattypan squash (fresh or frozen)
2 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze as much moisture as possible from the squash. Mix with flour and eggs to form thick paste. Fry at medium heat in oil or butter until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Serve warm with sour cream if desired. Makes 15 small, appetizer-size pancakes. Grated zucchini can be used instead of squash.

All summer squash are interchangeable in virtually any recipe. So, for starters, check out the zucchini threads that have appeared here and at the cooking forum.

If you have a lot of small pattypans you can pickle them. They make a nice display in the jar, and taste great that way.

We like to stuff the larger one, using various fillings and baking the whole thing.

Here's a recipe for pickling the small ones:

Pickled Cymling (Pattypan) Squashes

1 lb tiny cumling squashes (preferably 1" or smaller"
2 large gralic cloves
2 large springs fresh dill
2 cups white or cider vinegar
2 tbls pickling spices
1/4 cup koser or pickling salt
1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar, to taste

Prepare 4 pint jars and lids for canning.

Remove any blossoms from the squashes. Rinse the squashes and pack them into the jars.

Combine the vinegar, 2 cups water, the spieces, garlic, dill springs, salt and sugar in a large nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and pour over the squashes. Seal and process in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes. Let stand at least 4 weeks before serving.

This recipe was developed by Betsy Hedeman, who took first prize with them at the Maryland State Fair that year. I was published in The Gardener's Community Cookbook.