During most of the summer months, soft-skinned summer squash, such as yellow squash, zucchini, and of course, cucumber find their way into recipes, and of course, onto our dinner plates.

It’s only this time of the year that winter squash really begins to take over center stage.

Fall is when winter squash, such as acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash, also make their yearly migration onto our menus, or in the case of pumpkin, their yearly carving AND culinary debuts.

Of course, history books tell us that both summer and winter squash have been around since very early historic times, and they’ve always played a prominent role in our country’s earliest settlements and culinary traditions. Winter squash played a particularly valuable role in the settler’s diets because they required no refrigeration and could be kept fresh for such long periods of time. It’s no wonder that no harvest scene is complete without a bountiful supply of brightly colored gourds and squash.

Many people buy just one type of squash and make the same recipe over and over again. Nothing new…same o’, same o’…

Unfortunately for some, squash has gotten stuck in a rut. It’s a shame really because when you think about it, squash is one of the most versatile vegetables on the market. What other vegetable can you enjoy as much sautéed, in a soup or in a stew as you can in a cake or in a pie? Certainly not an onion nor a tomato.

Not a head of lettuce either.

So let’s begin with the basics. One of the best places to start is Nino’s Guide to Squash, which will give you a simple overview of the most commonly available squash at Nino’s.

Pick a recipe, make your grocery list and stop by Nino’s where we’ve got bushels and bins of squash to choose from and for you to enjoy.