…but it IS easy to grow squash, and use them as greens. Read on!<\/p>\n
Both types – summer or winter – are easy to grow. Their names denote how long their fruits last. Zucchini is a summer squash; the fruit develops quickly, has delicate skin, and gets slimy in the fridge if you leave it there and forget. You must eat your zucchini squash this summer,\u00a0<\/em>or sooner.<\/p>\n Acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash\u2026 the beloved pumpkin: these are all Winter squashes. They take longer to develop, have a tough outer skin, and can be stored\u00a0through the winter!\u00a0<\/em>Get it?<\/p>\n (UPDATE: I have heard that you can pick small, immature winter squash fruits and use them like summer squash. They taste like zucchini. Hmmm. I will have to experiment…)<\/p>\n The problem with squash plants: they take up so much darn room! They can really get away from you. \u00a0And the fruits? Check on them every day or you’ll end up with green baseball bats. They don’t taste very good when they’re that big, either. \u00a0When Joe built my planter box last year, his first request? “Please, no squash?” \u00a0I obviously learned my lesson on runaway zucchini firsthand. (I also planted the squash plant in the front yard. I think he built the backyard planter lest I continued my garden quest up front for everyone to see.)<\/p>\n However, the most INTERESTING thing about squash plants? To paraphrase Willy Wonka: They are eatable, I mean edible. I mean you can eat every part of the plant! How did I discover this? Thank you for asking – I will tell you!<\/p>\n My oldest daughter is in the Navy, stationed in Guam. She told me about this Chamorro dish she had eaten: Chicken Kelaguen. She loves this stuff. I looked up recipes so I could try making it and see why she was practically addicted. (Note: Chicken Kelaguen for a future post!)<\/p>\n As usually happens with me and any project, I got sidetracked. \u00a0Guam food! Guam and Chamorro culture! I looked at more and more recipes. I started watching videos: still about Chamorro food, but Chicken Kelaguen was forgotten. I found this video, and I was intrigued. You MUST watch it:<\/p>\n