A Zucchini For Bowling?

[MrSeedy]

A lady at work , who likes to have veggies in her garden offered me a zucchini, recently, and I jumped at the chance for a homegrown and free one, since I don't have any in my garden. Little did I expect something about as heavy and big and round, as a bowling ball, and I'd never seen one before. I'm just wondering if they can be cooked, with skin, seeds and all, like I cook the regular tubular ones, since I do like to eat the whole thing excluding the stem, just with simple slicing, and steaming or frying them . Someone said it should be seeded and baked, but I never use my oven , especailly in the hot summer months. I'd suspect that the skin is tough and inedible, and the seeds large and tough , so those would need to be removed, and I'm not using my oven!!! Oh well, it may be very tasty, but has anyone else eaten or grown one of these thangs???!!!!

[donybee]

Sure looks different. How about Zucchini bread. I think it may be a new variety as I've never seen a Zucchini that was round. Might make a good squash pie. :lol: :lol:

[MrSeedy]

I'm just wondering if she saved seeds last year. Seed saving is a great idea , but if you're growing , squash and related crops together you get some odd hybrids sometimes, and they're not always very tasty. Seems a neighbor of my folks had a similar looking squash show up in their garden as a volunteer, since they grew lots of different squash etc. together. The buttercup squash will cross with zucchinis I believe to yeild a round zucchini looking squash in the next generation???

[DandyLioness]

I've never seen a round one! :lol: How about chopping it up and frying it in butter along with some mushrooms and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper and parmesan cheese. Makes a great vegie dish.

[Ginny42]

Mmmm, that sounds good Dandy! ;)

MrSeedy, I've seen the ones called "Eight ball" squash that are round, but they usually are only the size of a softball. Maybe this lady let them stay on the vine too long. Must have lots of big seeds in there. :unsure: Let us know how it tasted after using it. ;) :D

[HarleyGal]

I've never seen a round one either! :unsure: I say chop it up and eat it! ;) You never know till you try it! ;)

[decompost]

oooohhhh, :) what a radical zuc - definitely save at least some of the seeds, those look like they'd be fun to grow!!!

[MrSeedy]

I guess I could eat a small amount to see how it tastes, but hate to spend much time in the process, if it's for dinner , only to find out I don't like it and then need to fix an alternative vegetable for dinner dinner. I'd imagine it does need to be pealed and seeded , should I decide to steam or fry it, and I could just prepare a small part of it to see what it tastes like. I hate to throw any kind of food out, buttttt!! It can't taste too odd, or out it goes!!

[buster]

I've never seen one like that before either. I'd shread or grind it and freeze for Zucchini bread this winter. My guess is that it's probably going to be too tough for much else. Buster

[bjmots]

Yep, that's an Eight Ball squash. Peel it, remove the seeds, and slice or cube. Then you can either steam it or saute with butter, etc. just like a normal zuc. They taste just like a zuc. I buy them at the farmer's market every chance I get because they are so unusual.

[MrSeedy]

Thanks for the info. bjomots, and it's going into the cookpot for my dinner today!!!
I'll save the seeds if they look mature for anyone wanting to grow some next year.

[mla2ofus]

8 ball is all I planted this year. The skin is so much more tender than the regular zucchini. I love them. I generally pick mine when they are baseball sized but the larger ones that I miss I either slice the top off and de-seed them and stuff with meatloaf or I just cut it in half, de-seed and slice it, and fry it or make zucchini bread out of it.

[DandyLioness]

8 ball squash! How cute is that name! I've got to find me some! :P

[MrSeedy]

I went ahead and cooked up about 1/4 of the squash, and the seeds were almost full grown , but not yet mature, though a little on the tough side, so too tough for eating and they were removed and I also pealed the skin off, and then steamed the slices. It was very tasty, though of course zucchini to me is sort of a bland tasting veggie anyway. I much prefer winter squash, but summer ones are for summer eating, til the winter ones mature sometime this month and into Sept. or later in some parts of the country. I'll eat the rest of it and leave the skin on, though the skin seemed a bit tough as well eaten raw. Could be it will be perfectly tender once it's cooked!! I still think for maximum nutritional value most fruits and veggies should be eaten with the skin left on when possible and in the case of zucchini, the skin may have a big part of the flavor. I know that's true for yellow or crookneck summer squash. If I eat the over grown ones of those and have to peal the tougher skin, I lose much of the flavor.

[bgendron]

I ordered Eight Balls this year from Gurney's. If picked when small (softball size at the largest), these are great grilled or sauted.

I don't peel them, just slice them, put a little olive oil on them and cook!! Add some parmesan cheese as they come off the grill...yum!!

The one that hid from me got about the size of soccer ball. When I cut it, it was very stringy and tough.

I also have Scalloped squash (we called them Patty Pan Squash). These are sweeter and also good for grilling.

Happy gardening!!

[MrSeedy]

I think if they're left til they get larger like mine , the skins do get too tough to even leven on, and the one piece , which I didn't peel , had some very tough skin I didn't want to swallow even after cooking it well. I think in general the lady in question has never been told it pays to pick those summer squash when they're still immature, so the skins and seeds can be cooked and not removed , when preparing that type of squash. Oh well though, the flesh was tasty!! She gave me regualr zucchini last year that was at least 14 in long and six inches wide, and that had the same large seeds and hard skin.