Squash b' gosh!

[jinman]

Just exactly 30 days ago I planted three hills of yellow crookneck squash and two hills of butternut squash. On July 5th, I took the picture below of the yellow squash seedlings. I've never seen anything pop out of the ground so fast.

 

[jinman]

This morning I took these pictures of the squash plants. In only 30 days, the yellow squash already have female and male blooms. I'll have squash by the first of August. I also took a picture of my butternut squash plants. They are very healthy and beginning to develop runners. I've never seen anything grow this fast. Wow!:thumbsup:

I also don't see any bugs. I carefully mixed a systemic insecticide (Bayer brand) and applied it when the plants were established. The instructions said I couldn't harvest fruit for 21 days. I can't pick and eat until August 7th. I may end up throwing some squash away if it gets too big.

I know, I know. . . I need to hoe my weeds.

 

[jinman]

I took some more garden photos too. The first picture is my cherry tomato plants I set out at the same time as I planted the squash. I lost one of the six plants I set out probably from overwatering and the heavy rains we had around July 4th.

The 2nd couple of pictures are my blackeyed peas in production. They are always covered in bumble bees and honeybees in the morning when I pick. So far, neither type of bee or the wasps have shown any aggression.:thumbsup:

The final picture is my okra. It's chest high and producing so much okra that we absolutely have to pick every 2nd day or it gets big and tough. My wife picks okra and I pick the peas.

 

[dcyrilc]

Weeds???

You don't have weeds. This is having weeds.:laughing:


The strawberries are doing well though.

 

[Duffster]

You didn't have to plant your own squash, I would have given you some of mine. :laughing: I picked 15 this morning and about as many zukes as well as two 5 gallon pails of cukes. :confused2:

Garden is a bit muddy, we have had 10" of rain in the last 48 hrs.

 

[jinman]

Cyril: I'll admit, you do have me beat on those weeds. I'm down to weeding every couple of weeks and it seems to be holding pretty well. You'll be eating fresh strawberries soon.:licking:

Duffster: I also have plenty of squash. I planted these because my others have the wilting virus and will soon expire. When they do, these will pick right up where they left off. My wife planted three hills of cucumbers for a fall crop a couple of weeks ago and we only have one seedling on one hill coming up. I think the seeds were some old ones from a couple of years ago and they will no longer germinate. I told her we should toss our seed box and start over fresh next year.

 

[jimmyj]

Duffster,
10 inches. Holy smokes. Did you have wash outs?

Jinman,
Nice garden. We're just starting to get beans and 'maters, yum yum :licking:

Cyril,
You still trying to get a leg up in the messy yard contest brother!!!! :thumbsup:

 

[Duffster]

Duffster,
10 inches. Holy smokes. Did you have wash outs?

No, not really.

Had to fix the floodgates 2 days in a row.

 

[jinman]

Tonight I sliced squash lengthwise about 1/2" thick and coated it in olive oil and garlic powder mixed. I grilled it alongside two ribeye steaks. It was terrific! My wife says it's her favorite way to eat squash. It's definitely one of my top two favorite ways to eat it too. The other is stir-fryed with onions and sweet peppers.:licking:

 

[Bird]

We've never cooked any squash on the grill; have to try that sometime. Of course, we like it fried, steamed, stewed, stir fry, raw in salads, and just about any way.:laughing: Our old neighbors down in Navarro County were like us; liked squash just about any way, but had some grandkids who wouldn't eat it. So she came up with a recipe to cook, mash, and combine the squash with stove top stuffing and cheese for a casserole that the grandkids were very fond of. And my wife still makes that since we're rather fond of it, too.

 

[jinman]

Bird, when you cook it on the grill, start with it thick and coat it well with olive oil for taste and to prevent it from sticking. Also, I can make the first flip using tongs, but when it cooks all the way through, it's so tender that I have to use a thin metal spatula to take it off the grill without tearing it up. What I cooked last night had nice dark grill marks and looked more like little catfish filets than squash when I took it off the grill.

 

[mjarrels]

Squash season around here is why you lock your car doors... Don't need a bag of squash left inside by someone.

mark

 

[Bird]

Jim, 2 or 3 years ago, I bought one of those skillets that's full of holes for cooking stuff on the grill that's small enough it would fall through or stuff that might fall apart. And it's never been used! Maybe I ought to try that.:laughing:

 

[Bird]

Squash season around here is why you lock your car doors... Don't need a bag of squash left inside by someone.

mark

Mark, I've heard that a lot about zucchini. I'm not sure why, but when I was a kid I don't think my family ever planted any zucchini, but then when I had a garden, I did plant it and we found that we like the yellow squash and zucchini mixed even better than either one alone.

But my family did always plant some white squash and I think it's really great fried. I don't know why, but I can't recall ever seeing it in the grocery stores, but I did buy some at a little local farmers market a couple of times last summer. One year when I had a garden, I bought a package of yellow squash seeds, but when they came up, one of the plants was the white squash. I hadn't expected that, but certainly didn't mind.

 

[Chuck52]

Bird,

I planted the yellow patty pan squash once, but it seemed less productive than the standard yellows. I don't remember if it tastes different? As to zucchini vs yellow squash, I much prefer the yellow. Funny thing though. This year we had a sudden flush of both zucchini and yellow squash and when I took some excess to work it was easier to give away the zucchini. Some people got no taste!

Yellow squash sliced,, dredged in corn meal and fried. Even the kids like it!

All my squash is about done now. I kept the squash bugs under control with just soapy water, but the cucumber beetles kept going and finally did in both kinds of squash and almost all my cucumbers. We'd had enough squash, but DW is seriously disappointed in no more cucumbers.

Chuck

 

[SPIKER]

never been a eater of yellow squash. have planted a bunch of zuces though last year we had I think 15 bushes seemed every seed in thepack made 3 bushes lol. we were breaking into cars to get rid of them I left bags full at work as well lol

I like them best made into sweet relish as a mix adder. were good sliced down middle seeds removed and filled full of cheese hamburger ect and baked to golden brown. have to get the woman to post the relish about 2/3 zucchini and 1/3 cucumbers with little bit of red green peppers ect. woman is looking for the relish directions it is GOOD.

mark

 

[txdon]

Jim, the best way to enjoy squash is "Mom's squash pie"! Of course I have never asked her for the recipe because there is always squash pie at her house.

 

[jinman]

Jim, the best way to enjoy squash is "Mom's squash pie"! Of course I have never asked her for the recipe because there is always squash pie at her house.

Okay, now you've done it!:smiley_aafz: Tell Mom you are being held for ransom by your TBN buddies who demand to know her squash pie recipe. That sounds pretty darn good.:licking: I'd bet you could make a delicious pie with butternut squash too.

 

[SPIKER]

Okay, now you've done it!:smiley_aafz: Tell Mom you are being held for ransom by your TBN buddies who demand to know her squash pie recipe. That sounds pretty darn good.:licking: I'd bet you could make a delicious pie with butternut squash too.

I dont have that one but found the relish one which is very good... boil slightly longer if using Zucs that are older or rubbery. we do not peel ours just chop em up.


Sweet Pickle Relish

4c. chopped cucumbers (about 4 med.) (or sub in 3 cups chopped zucchini, one cup cucumbers.) 3 & 1 works great
2c. chopped onions
1c. chopped green pepper
1 chopped sweet red pepper
1/4c. canning salt
3 & 1/2c. sugar
2c. cider vinegar
1tbsp. celery seed
1tbsp. mustard seed

Combine cucumbers, onions, green and red peppers in a large bowl;
sprinkle with the salt and cover with water. Let stand 2 hours.
Prepare jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions.
Drain vegetables thoroughly; pressing out liquid. Combine sugar,
vinegar, celery seed and mustard seed in a large sauce pot; bring to
boil. Add drained vegetables: simmer 10 minutes. Carefully pack hot
relish into hot jars leaving a 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps.
Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield: about 8 half-pint
jars.


note: older Zucs that are slightly dry/rubbery will really suck in the juice you HAVE to really drain out the salt solution or else it will get a little salty. We use a canning bag and squeeze out the salt solution good, once you start the boiling it will pull in more sweet flavoring. It will taste a lot different than standard relish which I was never a big fan of but the Zucchini stuff is worth eating on a good hot dog or two Note: if you dont have a canning bag a good clean cotton dish towel can substitute to drop in the salty mixture into fold it up and twist it into a bag, keep twisting until pretty much all the salt solution is squeezed out...

Mark M..

 

[txdon]

Okay, now you've done it!:smiley_aafz: Tell Mom you are being held for ransom by your TBN buddies who demand to know her squash pie recipe. That sounds pretty darn good.:licking: I'd bet you could make a delicious pie with butternut squash too.

Here it is now please release me!

2 cups of yellow squash - cooked till tender and drained (un-pealed)
dash of salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 TBS flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla

Blend all ingredients in a blender and put into two pies shells and bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.