Yellow Squash and Pattypan: Two Summer Gems You Might Be Underestimating

The Two Squashes Sitting Right Next to Each Other That You Keep Walking Past

You've seen them a hundred times — the bright golden yellow squash lined up in a row, and right beside them, those funny little flying-saucer-shaped ones with the scalloped edges. If you've been reaching past them every week at the produce stand, today is the day to finally pick a few up. Yellow squash and pattypan squash are two of the most rewarding summer vegetables you can cook with, and right now, in the height of August, they are absolutely at their best.

At Open Air Market Produce Stand on Barbourville Road in London, Kentucky, we're seeing beautiful squash this week — the yellows are tender and slim, the pattypans are firm and fresh. Both varieties are at that sweet spot in the season where the skins are thin, the flesh is dense without being seedy, and the flavor is clean and mild in exactly the right way. Whether you've cooked with them a thousand times or you've always been curious but never sure what to do, this is your moment.

What Makes Pattypan Special (And Why It Deserves Its Own Spotlight)

Most people know yellow squash. It's a summer staple — sliced into coins, sautéed with a little butter, served alongside just about anything. And it's delicious. But pattypan squash is a different creature entirely, even though it belongs to the same family. Those small, round, scallop-edged squashes — sometimes pale green, sometimes creamy white, sometimes buttery yellow — have a slightly denser texture than yellow squash, and their flavor is a touch nuttier and richer, especially when roasted.

The pattypan's shape also makes it uniquely suited to a technique most squash can't pull off: stuffing. Because they sit flat and hold their shape beautifully in the oven, you can hollow out a pattypan, fill it with sausage and herbs or a savory rice mixture, and bake it into something that looks like it took real effort — even though it didn't. If you've never tried a stuffed pattypan, you're genuinely missing one of summer's quiet little pleasures.

Look for pattypans that feel heavy for their size and have no soft spots or shriveling on the skin. Smaller ones — about the size of a large egg to a tennis ball — are the sweetest and most tender. Larger ones are still great for stuffing but may have a slightly thicker, more fibrous texture near the seed cavity.

How to Pick Yellow Squash Like You Actually Know What You're Looking For

Yellow squash comes in two main shapes you'll see at a stand like ours: straightneck (smooth and even all the way down) and crookneck (with a curved, narrow neck that widens at the base). Both taste essentially the same, but crookneck tends to have a slightly firmer neck section that holds up well to grilling and slicing.

When you're picking yellow squash, size is everything. The best ones are six to eight inches long — small enough that the seeds are still tiny and soft, big enough to have real substance when you cook them. If a squash is much larger than that, the skin toughens, the seeds get chewy, and the whole thing gets watery. You want a squash that feels firm and weighty in your hand, with smooth, unblemished skin that has a slight sheen. A dull, dry-looking skin usually means the squash has been sitting too long. Fresh is everything with summer squash, and fresh is exactly what you'll find when you stop in at our stand at 1594 Barbourville Rd — open every day of the week, including Sunday from 11 to 6.

Four Ways to Cook Them That Go Beyond the Usual Sauté

The classic sauté — sliced into coins, cooked in butter or olive oil with a little garlic and salt — is a perfectly good recipe, and nobody is going to argue with it. But if that's the only move you've got, you're leaving a lot of great food on the table. Here are four other directions worth exploring this week.

**Roasted with parmesan.** Cut yellow squash lengthwise into planks, brush with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder, then roast at 425°F for about 20 minutes until the edges are caramelized and golden. Finish with a shower of freshly grated parmesan right out of the oven. The edges get almost crispy, and the flavor concentrates in a way that a quick sauté never achieves.

**Grilled pattypan halves.** Slice pattypans in half across their equator, brush the cut sides with olive oil and a little smoked paprika, and place them cut-side down on a hot grill. Four to five minutes per side gives you beautiful char marks and a tender interior. Serve them with a squeeze of lemon and fresh herbs — they're incredible alongside anything you're already grilling.

**Yellow squash fritters.** Grate two medium yellow squash, squeeze out as much moisture as possible in a clean kitchen towel, then mix with one egg, a couple tablespoons of flour, shredded cheddar, sliced green onions, and plenty of black pepper. Pan-fry in spoonfuls until golden and crisp. These disappear fast — make a double batch.

**Stuffed pattypan squash.** Scoop out the center of a few pattypans, sauté the scooped flesh with onion, garlic, and ground sausage or crumbled feta and spinach, then pack the filling back in. Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes until tender all the way through. It's a complete meal that feels impressive with almost no real effort.

Storing Squash So It Stays Fresh All Week Long

Summer squash is best eaten within two to four days of buying it, but with the right storage, you can stretch that a little further. The biggest mistake people make is washing squash before storing it — moisture on the skin speeds up deterioration fast. Instead, keep it dry, and store it loosely in a paper bag or wrapped in a dry kitchen towel in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

If you buy more than you can use fresh — which is easy to do when the prices are good and everything looks beautiful — yellow squash freezes reasonably well. Blanch slices in boiling water for three minutes, transfer to an ice bath, drain thoroughly, and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to freezer bags. Frozen squash works best in soups, casseroles, and baked goods rather than sautéed dishes, since the texture softens after freezing. Pattypan squash can be frozen the same way, though their texture holds a touch better than yellow squash does.

One Genuinely Great Recipe to Make This Week: Yellow Squash and Corn Casserole

This is the kind of dish that gets requested at every church potluck and family reunion for a reason — it is deeply satisfying, uses simple ingredients, and comes together in about 45 minutes from start to finish. You'll need about three medium yellow squash (sliced into thin rounds), one diced onion, two eggs, a cup of sour cream, a cup of shredded cheddar, and a sleeve of buttery crackers for the topping.

Sauté the squash and onion in a little butter until just tender, then season generously with salt and pepper. Whisk together the eggs and sour cream, stir in the squash mixture and half the cheese, and pour everything into a greased baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and crushed crackers. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and set in the center. It's rich, a little creamy, and completely irresistible — the kind of side dish that gets eaten before the main course is even finished. Pick up your squash and onions together when you visit us this week, and you'll have everything you need to put this on the table tonight.

Come See What's Ready Right Now

At Open Air Market Produce Stand, we've been serving the London, Kentucky community and all of Laurel County since 1984 — and more than four decades in, fresh produce still means the same thing it always has: what's in season, what looks good, and what's going to taste right when you get it home. We're open seven days a week — Monday through Friday from 10 to 6, Saturday from 9 to 6, and Sunday from 11 to 6 — with plenty of parking right at 1594 Barbourville Rd.

If you've been searching for fresh produce London Kentucky or just looking for good vegetables near me, stop in this week and grab a few yellow squash and some pattypans while they're at their August best. The season for summer squash doesn't last forever — but right now, it's exactly where you want it to be.