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There's Enough Squash to Go Around

July 16, 2008
There's Enough Squash to go Around

DENISE MILLER

Editor's note: Every other week during growing season, Denise Miller of the New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association spotlights local growers and their crops.

There's an old saying that goes something like this: When you park your car in the summer, be sure to lock your doors or someone might fill it with summer squash.

That's because once the season starts, squash can be prolific -- assuming the squash bugs don't get too fierce.

But Nicholas Targhetta, with the help of his dad and his brother, has a way to ensure they are able to bring about 100 pounds of squash to the Bernalillo and Corrales growers' markets each week: "If you plant enough, the bugs can't get them all," Targhetta said.

Playing the odds is something most farmers deal with constantly -- be it late frosts like the one in northern New Mexico last month, unexpected hail, or pests. Good farmers, like the Targhettas, just try to have a backup plan.

Depending on your taste buds or culture, summer squash can be eaten dozens of ways, including grilled, stir-fried, steamed or sautéed. Some varieties can even be eaten raw, shredded in cold salads or added to spring rolls.

If you want to get adventurous, try it Italianstyle (breaded and pan-fried), French-inspired (stewed with summer vegetables in ratatouille) or as they do in Mexico (in the filling of quesadillas).

Many vendors, including Targhetta, usually have several varieties from which to choose. Summer squash have a delicate, mild flavor, and tend to be best when on the small side.

Pattypan, sometimes called petit pan, are small, round, flying saucer-shaped with scalloped edges. They can be yellow, green or white.

Yellow crookneck are usually about 6 inches long with bumpy yellow skin, and as the name implies, have a curved neck.

Yellow summer squash, or straightneck, are a member of the gourd family and look like a yellow gourd. They can be used interchangeably with zucchini in most recipes.

Zucchini, similar in shape to a cucumber, may be green, light green or yellow.

Targhetta's favorite way to eat squash is in calabacitas -- a sautéed mixture of squash, onions, corn, green chile and tomatoes -- though it's hard to imagine when he has time to cook. He's a 26-year-old New Mexico Tech master's degree student who also works at Sandia National Laboratories, tends to a farm and sells at markets.

According to Targhetta, he enjoys the balance: "It's a different atmosphere than the usual flow of work and school, and going to market is just something special," he said.

It's also a scenario only made possible with the help of his family, who pitch in to keep their half-acre Corrales farm producing everything from broccoli to native melons and walnuts.

His dad, Alfred, is retired and takes care of the watering and weeding during the week, while his brother Andrew, 24, also a student, comes home on weekends to help with the tractor, weeding and picking.

Targhetta himself helps with a bit of everything on the farm and is usually the primary face at market selling the produce, which is pesticide-free.

While he has known many of his customers for 10 years, Targhetta acknowledges that every year, more new faces come to market.

"It's great food at a fair price, and if people haven't been to market they really should check it out. I'm pretty proud of the whole place," he said, referring to the Corrales market.

So what keeps this young, incredibly busy guy coming back to the farm to battle weeds, work on 1950s farm equipment and haul fresh fruits and vegetables to market each weekend?

"Growing food is just what I've always done, and I like going home and spending time with my dad and brother," he explained.

Only a splendid summer squash could possibly be more straightforward than that.

Featured Grower: Nicholas Targhetta and family, Targhetta Farm

Where to find him: Bernalillo Farmers Market, Corrales Growers Market (Sundays)

Featured crop: Summer squash, which is low in calories, fat and sodium and a good source of fiber, calcium and phosphorus. Along with beta carotene it contains vitamin C, folic acid, calcium and potassium.

Season: Early July through mid-October