one more time...

So it seems that the whole male/female flower thing on squash plants continues to perplex people.  I ran into a friend the other day, who happens to be a chef.  He asked me how he could tell the male flowers from the female, to avoid picking the females (the ones that will turn into a squash).  The male flowers only bloom for one day, in the morning.  Once they start to fade they are perfect for picking and stuffing.  So I'm going to make it easy, without a botany lesson...

Bloomed this morning

It's a boy!

Of course in the last few days there has not been a single female squash flower blooming in my garden. Most likely this is because I was complaining about this squash plant the other day and now Mother Nature is punishing me.  This is a cucumber female flower, so you'll get the idea.

Speaking of the dreaded jumbo patty pan squash, I managed to turn it into this (sauteed with chick peas and onions) and now I'm not complaining so much anymore.