Feb. 2, 2003 – Ask Virgin Islanders their favorite vegetable, and I'll just bet the answer you'll hear most often is broccoli. That's great. Broccoli is certainly a high-nutrient vegetable. But variety, and eating many different vegetables in the diet, is key to good health.
"Many vegetables, like zucchini, pak choy, Chinese cabbage, string beans, beets, and butternut and other squashes are on our store shelves and are grown by local farmers. But many residents aren't familiar with them and thus don't buy them," says Carlos Robles, acting district supervisor the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service for the St. Thomas-St. John district.
The best way of getting acquainted with unfamiliar vegetables is to learn how to select them optimally and then to enjoy their flavor in a tasty recipe.
This week's recipe is for doing just that with two members of the squash family.
With both zucchini, the popular oblong, green-skinned summer squash, and yellow crookneck squash, smaller is better when it comes to selection at the market or roadside stand. These will be younger and therefore more tender. Also, choose squash that are of vibrant color with their skins free of blemishes or soft mushy spots.
Green zucchini and yellow crookneck squash can make an entire meal when stuffed with a mixture of beef and rice. Try the family favorite recipe that follows.
Savory Stuffed Squash
6 small zucchini
6 small yellow crookneck squash
Salt
1 tomato, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon, plus juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried crushed mint
Filling:
3/4 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1/3 cup cooked white rice
1/2 large tomato, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon raisins
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
To prepare the squash: Wash vegetables well. Sprinkle them with salt and let drain for 1/2 hour; this will soften them. Using a narrow apple corer, make a hole at the stem end of each squash and scoop out the pulp, being careful not to break the skin. The other end must remain closed.
To make the filling: Put all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Stir until well blended.
To stuff squash: Fill each squash half-full of the filling. Lay a few thin slices of tomato in the bottom of a large, deep baking dish. Place the stuffed squash side-by-side in layers on top of the tomatoes.
In a small saucepan, mix the tomato paste with 1 cup water and juice from one lemon. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the tomato sauce over the squash. Cover the saucepan and simmer gently for 1 hour or until squash are soft and filling is cooked. Add more water if necessary.
Crush the garlic cloves with a little salt. Mix with the mint and juice from half a fresh lemon. Sprinkle this mixture over the squash and continue cooking a few minutes longer.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 220 calories, 9 gms fat (39 percent fat calories), 47 mg cholesterol, 318 mg sodium.

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