Did You Know Series:
Ever hear of Patty Pan Squash?
Last night I happened to catch Alton Brown’s Show and he was making something called Patty Pan Squash.
Alton mentioned that the combination of Corn/Squash and Beans make a perfect protein. I had never heard of that before. It certainly is another reason to feel good about eating less meat but still having a complete source of protein.
I did a little more research over at Alice Formega of www.ReneesGarden.com, and sure enough, corn, beans and squash also complement each other nutritionally. Corn provides carbohydrates, the dried beans are rich in protein, balancing the lack of necessary amino acids found in corn. Finally, squash yields both vitamins from the fruit and healthful, delicious oil from the seeds.
Anyway . . . I’ve seen these little guys in the grocery store or farmers market for years, but, and I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I thought these little gourds were suitable only for decorative uses. How wrong I was.
So . . . last night Alton made a dish called Overstuffed Patty Pan Squash and he used these little squash.
Here’s a little teaser about Patty Pan Squash. These babies are a rounded, and sort of flat summer squash. They have pretty little scalloped edges. They grow in a pale green, white or yellow. The pale green variety turns white in color if allowed to mature longer. They are also known as a Summer Scallop Squash or Early White Bush Scallop. You’ll find them ranging in size from over 1 inch to 4 inches in diameter.
Carol EgBerg has a luscious looking recipe for Patty Pan Squash Cake
HERE are MORE FOODS THAT FORM A PERFECT PROTEIN
