[BlueToBlue]

A friend gave me a giant pattypan squash and I'm not sure what to do with it. It's not a baby squash, this thing is 5 or 6 inches in diameter. I googled pattypan squash but everything that came up was for baby pattypans. Do you eat the skin? Do you eat the insides? Does anyone have any ideas or experience with these things?

[fiberlover]

Here is a recipe that calls for about 30-36 oz of pattypan squash. You don't eat the seeded inside, just remove that.

I know people cut the ends off, scoop out the seeds, stuff with things and bake them.

[tommy]

I have grown them and tried to use ones that "got away from me" in terms of size- not much flavor. I did peel them and went with lots of seasoning (like Indian). Had one about 8 inches across. Cut the top off neatly, scooped out innards and used as a dip container. My guests were convinced it was ceramic! I had to get a knife out and show them it was "alive".

[LLV]

Oh my gosh! I'm so jealous! I absolutely LOVE patty pan squash, but can never find it anywhere. I think I found it ONCE at a farm market, like 3 or 4 years ago, and I haven't seen it since

Anyway, my favorite thing to do with patty pan is to slice it and fry it after dipping in a mixture of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. However, I try my best to lighten it up (anytime I do the same thing with zucchini) is I use panko instead of bread crumbs and, of course, 'fry' it in a really good non-stick skillet sprayed with Pam (butter flavored). Or I spray a baking sheet with Pam and spread the slices out on the sheet and then bake them until they're brown and crispy. This is typically my favorite way to eat any type of summer squash.

[BlueToBlue]

Thanks for the ideas! I think I'm going to try a variation of the recipe with fiberlover found, adding in a few more veggies, some extra spices (maybe some garam masala, to borrow from Tommy's suggestion) and a combination of turkey sausage and ground turkey (I'm hoping to make a meal out of out it). Hopefully it will be edible .