Squash Soup Of A Different Cucurbita

Squash Soup of a Different Cucurbita

By Joseph Parish

Squashes technically belong to the genus of Cucurbits which are natives of the country of Mexico and various areas of Central America. Many people habitually avoid eating squash since its close cousin is the gourd family. There are in fact many edible and tasty members of this plant group which includes the Hubbard squash, the popular buttercup squash as well as the Halloween favorite pumpkin.

Squash actually has a very well-established history with our Native American heritage. It was a vital crop used in the Indians three sisters garden. This native method of planted consisted of corn, beans and squash grown together. The combination of these three vegetables results in what the Native Americans originally referred to as “The Three Sisters”. It was these vegetables arranged in a specific manner that amazed the Europe adventurers as they first set foot in the new world. The natives of America discovered long ago that these three selected plants seemed to thrive exceptionally well when inter-planted together.

When the European travelers arrived from far away in the 1600s, they quickly discovered that the Iroquois had been raising their vegetables in this manner for over 300 years. This trio of plants physically and spiritually sustained the tribes in an unparalleled manner. These three plants were frequently viewed as a gift from God, and were always grown and eaten together to provide the warriors, and their families with a balanced diet.

There is a Native American fable concerning the three sisters and, in the tale, it explains some interesting scientific principles as well. The corn is thought of as the older sister, and as such provides the beans with adequate support, similar to how in the human aspect, older sisters frequently will help support their younger siblings. The beans in turn, pull life, providing oxygen from the air, and divert it to the soil, often to the benefit of all three of the sisters.

In time the beans will grow between the scrambled squash vines, as they ultimately wind and twist their way up the corn stalk seeking sunlight to hold its sisters together. The squash leaves provide protection for the plants by shading the soil and keeping it moist, while at the same time thwart weed development. Additionally, these prickly offshoots from the squash plants tend to keep animals from invading the sister’s turf, since they do not like stepping on the leaves.

You can search the internet and you will find an abundance of recipes for using the butternut squash and a vast array of bread recipes which employ zucchini as the main ingredient but rarely do you find the usual yellow summer squash listed. The majority of squash eaters feel that this product should be cooked down and prepared similar to what you would do with mashed potatoes or possibly even yams but there is more to it than that.

Enough about the three sisters garden, let’s cook something with the food obtained from it. Being the soup experimenter that I am, I took some yellow squash and made some unique and interesting soup. The best part of this is that it took only 30 minutes to accomplish a fantastic soup meal fit for a king.

Ingredients

2 each, minute steaks

1/2 teaspoon of melted butter

2 medium yellow squash, diced up

1 can of diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon Parsley Flakes

1/4 teaspoon of spaghetti sauce seasoning

3 cups water

To start, take a medium size saucepan and sauté with the butter the two chopped up minute steaks. Chop them up until they are in very small pieces and then fry until done. Add the squash at this time and continue to cook on a medium heat.

As the contents become tender, add the can of tomatoes to the pan as well as the various spices and seasoning. Use more or less seasoning to suit your individual taste. Finally, place the 3 cups of water in the pan and bring the contents back up to a rapid boil at which time you should simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve this soup hot and feel proud of yourself for no longer are you restricted to serving mashed squash.

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