Tromboncino Squash
What do you do when friends bring you an abundance of their summer squash bounty?
I know what I do; I say thank you! I love summer squash. I do not have a green enough thumb to grow much of my own, but I am blessed with some very talented friends and family members as you can see by the giant Tromboncino squash in my photo.
Once the excitement of receiving such bounty winds down my thoughts turn to eating it. How will I cook it, save it, and share it? I’m going to share one of my favorite gluten free zucchini bread recipes (using the Tromboncino). I think you will love making this bread. It’s easy to share with friends and family since each recipe makes two loaves. This recipe freezes super well, so if you are feeling very industrious you could spend an afternoon making a few recipes and freezing up some goodness for a cold winter morning when all the summer squash is gone.
First a little info on this crazy squash. The Tromboncino is an Italian heirloom squash. This squash is part of the pumpkin and butternut family. It is one of the rare winter squashes that can be harvested young and eaten as a summer squash. When picked young the flavor is sweet and the meat is firm and wonderful to consume raw or cooked. This squash can be left on the vine to harvest later in the fall, it will turn from a pale green to a nice yellow and be very much like a butternut squash. It can be harvested and saved in a cool dry space and used as you would any other winter squash. One of my favorite things to do with winter squash like butternut, is to peel, slice, dice, portion, and freeze raw in some airtight baggies. Always be sure to label and date all your processed freezer foods. This allows me to have home made ready to go frozen chunks of winter squash for any soup, sauce or bake I may be inspired to make .
Today I am going to share a recipe that uses this squash as a summer squash, no matter how you work with it, this squash as all squash are packed full of nutrients.
1 cup of cooked squash will give you more potassium than a banana! I found that amazing. Potassium is an essential major mineral. Many of us are aware of the benefits potassium has on our muscle function, but did you know that it also is essential to your heart health (major muscle), nerve function, and overall cellular wellness. This squash is also a great source of calcium great for bone health, vitamin A, great for eye health, vitamin C, great for your immune function, and of course it is high in fiber and has a low glycemic index.
Now let’s talk about cooking this baby up. I made some delicious sliced roasted parmesan rounds with the top of this massive squash, they baked up beautifully and I used them as slider breads for some grass finished burgers topped with raw white cheddar. This was absolutely delicious. Check out the pics on my Instagram. The slices are so easy to make and took a total of 30 minutes. I plan on using the leftovers for a nice alternative lasagna later this week.
The recipe I want to share today however, is a sweet Tromboncino squash bread with dark black dried cherries and bittersweet chocolate, always gluten free and always adaptable. I will be using dairy in this recipe, but of course the options are up to you. Remember every recipe is just a guideline. Be as creative as your heart desires and feel free to share your changes with me. I love to read and see what everyone else likes to do with my recipes to make them their own. I really hope you try this recipe; use any summer squash you have on hand and enjoy the journey.
References: