Baby Yellow Patty Pan Squash
Estimated Inventory, 10 lbs : 14.56
This item was last sold on : 01/19/25
Description/Taste
Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash is a small, saucer-shaped vegetable known for its petite size. Each baby squash measures about 4 to 8 centimeters wide and possesses wavy scalloped ridges along the outer edges of the vegetable that resemble flower petals. This squash has vibrant yellow skin with green-tipped stems and blossom ends. This skin is smooth, shiny, and soft enough to be consumed raw. Its flesh is cream-white with a crisp, crunchy texture similar to zucchini. Inside the moist seed cavity, the seeds are underdeveloped, while the flesh itself has a softer, higher moisture content than more mature squash varieties. Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash has a mild taste with bright, peppery, and slightly grassy notes, followed by a sweet finish.
Seasons/Availability
Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash is available during the summer.
Current Facts
Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash is botanically known as Cucurbita pepo and belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family along with all other types of squash as well as gourds, pumpkins, and cucumbers. This variety is commonly known as Sunburst squash, Scallopini squash, Button squash, Scallop squash, Tulip squash, Askutasquash in the Narragansett language, and Pâtisson in French. It is technically classified as a fruit but frequently referred to and cooked as a vegetable. This variety is a miniature version of the traditionally sized Yellow Patty Pan squash, requiring it to be harvested when immature to achieve a small size and delicate texture and flavor. When left on the vine to fully mature, Yellow Patty Pan squash will continue to grow larger, but too much time on the vine can lead to a drier, thicker skin and lesser flavor. Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash plants are valued mainly for their culinary uses as the entire plant is edible, including the fruit, leaves, and flowers.
Nutritional Value
Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash is a good source of vitamins A and C, supporting healthy vision and skin, immune function, iron absorption, collagen production, and decreased blood pressure. This vegetable possesses folic acid, a B vitamin that promotes hair growth, cardiovascular and mental health, and red blood cell formation. This vitamin also aids in cell growth and development, making it particularly beneficial during pregnancy. Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash contains potassium and manganese, nutrients that help with electrolyte balance, metabolism support, wound healing, muscle, nerve, and brain function, and reducing oxidative damage and calcium loss. This vegetable provides the body with fiber to help improve digestion and nutrient absorption, lower cholesterol levels, and reduce exposure to toxins in the digestive tract.
Applications
Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash is tender enough to be eaten raw but can also be sautéed, baked, braised, or steamed. When fresh, it may be tossed into salads, grain bowls, wraps, or crudité platters. This vegetable can also be incorporated into paninis, flatbreads, pizzas, pasta, lasagna, and soufflés, or it can be puréed to serve as a thickener for soups and sauces. The small size of this baby squash allows it to be enjoyed whole, whether roasted, grilled on a kebab, or hollowed out, stuffed with cheese, and baked. Its flavor pairs well with acidic foods like tomatoes, lemons, limes, onions, sauerkraut, radishes, bell peppers, and citrus-based sauces and dressings. Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash is also complemented by ingredients like grilled meats, shellfish, roasted chicken, oregano, basil, parsley, and robust cheeses such as goat and Pecorino. To store, refrigerate unwashed squash in a plastic bag. For optimal flavor and texture, Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash should be used within a week.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
American colonists referred to Patty Pan squash as Cymling, a term inspired by the vegetable’s resemblance to the decorative, rounded edges of an Easter simnel cake. This traditional British dessert is made with dried fruits and almonds and topped with a scalloped layer of marzipan, mirroring the Patty Pan squash’s unique, ridged shape. The cake is also adorned with eleven marzipan balls around its edge, symbolizing all the twelve apostles except Judas. This resemblance to a familiar food from their English homeland provided early settlers with a sense of familiarity and connection to their past as they established traditions in their new land.
Geography/History
Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash originates from the New World and is considered an ancestral food of Eastern North America. Native Americans have consumed it since the late 16th century. This variety thrives in climates with full sun, warm weather, and rich soil. Baby vegetables, including the Baby Yellow Patty Pan squash, began appearing in the commercial marketplace in the 1980s, first with baby carrots and soon after with baby corn, baby salad greens, and baby squashes. As chefs in restaurants and television cooking show hosts started using baby-sized vegetables, consumer demand among home cooks increased. Today, this variety can be purchased from farmers’ markets and grocery stores in Australia, France, South America, and Central America.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-759-6063 |
| Brigantine Coronado | Coronado CA | 619-435-4166 |
| Sheraton Harbor Island | San Diego CA | 619-692-2265 |
| Thai One On | Carlsbad CA | 760-500-8674 |
| Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering | San Diego CA | 619-436-7006 |
| Peohes | Coronado CA | 619-437-4474 |
| Jeune Et Jolie | Carlsbad CA | 858-231-0862 |
| Lodge at Torrey Pines Main | San Diego CA | 858-453-4420 |
| Sheraton Carlsbad (Banquets) | Carlsbad CA | 760-827-2400 |
| Black Raill Kitchen + Bar | Carlsbad CA | 619-454-9182 |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst. | San Diego CA | 508-289-2667 |
| US Grant Hotel Grill | San Diego CA | 619-232-3121 |
| Portside Pier (TopSail) | San Diego CA | 858-268-1030 |
| Tom Hams Light House | San Diego CA | 619-291-9110 |
| Rosewood Social | San Juan Capistrano CA | 669-243-8403 |
| Deeply Nourished | La Jolla CA | 808-489-7366 |
| Parisien Gourmandises | La Jolla CA | 858-352-6552 |
| Lauberge Del Mar | Del Mar CA | 858-259-1515 |
| Madison | San Diego CA | 619-822-3465 |
| Reata Glen | Ladera Ranch CA | 949-545-2250 |
| Webbcreationfood LLC | San Diego CA | 619-829-9194 |
| PFC Fitness Camp | Carlsbad CA | 888-488-8936 |
| Rancho Bernardo Inn | San Diego CA | 877-517-9340 |
| Bernini's Bistro | La Jolla CA | 858-454-5013 |
| Bernardo Heights Country Club | San Diego CA | 858-487-4022 |
| Viejas Casino Banquets | Alpine Ca | 619-295-3172 |
| Cloak and Petal | San Diego CA | 626-319-6878 |
| Bencotto Italian Kitchen | San Diego CA | 619-822-5493 |
| Rustic Root | San Diego CA | 619-232-1747 |
| Dolce Pane & Vino | Del Mar CA | 858-832-1518 |
| Saint Mark Golf and Resort, LLC | San Marcos CA | 508-320-6644 |
| California English | San Diego CA | 727-515-0362 |
| DoubleTree By Hilton San Diego | San Diego CA | 619-881-6900 |
| US Grant Hotel Main | San Diego CA | 619-232-3121 |
| Pacific Coast Grill | Solana Beach CA | 858-794-4632 |
| Bekker's Catering | San Diego CA | 619-287-9027 |
| The Guild Hotel | San Diego CA | 619-764-5108 |
| Meraki | San Diego CA | 833-921-7180 |
| Cucina Enoteca | Del Mar CA | 619-239-2222 |
| Busy Bee Cook For Me | San Diego CA | 858-405-5372 |
| InterContinental Vistal Kitchen | San Diego CA | 619-501-9400 |
| Wolf In the Woods | San Diego CA | 619-851-7275 |
| Paradise Point Resort BQT Kitchen | San Diego CA | 858-490-6363 |
| Brigantine Pt Loma | San Diego CA | 619-224-2871 |
| The Farm Golf Club | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-756-5585 |
| Royal Polaris Sportfishing | San Diego CA | 619-226-8030 |
| University Club | San Diego CA | 619-234-5200 |
| Pamplemousse Grill | Solana Beach CA | 858-792-9090 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Baby Yellow Patty Pan Squash. One
is easiest, three is harder.
