Summer squash (zucchini / courgette)
Cucurbita pepo

Cucurbitaceae family

Over the years, many varieties with different appearances have been bred from summer squash. The most familiar has large leaves and a yellow inflorescence. Most of the time, zucchini is oblong or slightly round.

Zucchini has come to Finland from the Mediterranean regions. The species is fast-growing and abundantly productive. The summer squash harvest season lasts from July until frost.

It’s better to harvest the zucchini when it’s a little small, rather than when it’s big and woody. The more you harvest, the more you get! At the end of summer, there is a downright shortage of zucchini, and creative cooks come up with the idea of ​​putting the mild vegetable in salads, vegetable stir-fries, pizza or even chocolate cake. Zucchini flowers are a great delicacy, even when stuffed with goat cheese. Zucchini protects the mucous membranes of the intestines and promotes digestion.