what you should know
Like its summery sibling zucchini, yellow squash is picked immature so that its soft seeds and thin rind are still perfectly edible. (So-called winter squash -- butternut, acorn and so on -- mature fully before harvest.)

flash in the pan Because yellow squash has such a high water content, it's best suited to cooking quickly on the grill or in sautés and stir fries. At only 36 calories per cup, yellow squash packs a light, healthy punch of dietary fiber and Vitamins A and C.

sliced and diced When prepping yellow squash, we tend to go with large cubes for roasting, long slices for salads and dipping, and rounds for pizzas and frittatas.

well, i'm a crookneck Yellow crookneck squash has a thicker -- but still edible -- rind that holds up well in gratins and kebabs on the grill. If you happen to get an older crookneck whose rind is too tough, whittle it down with a vegetable peeler.

what you need

To dish up a squash gratin, try this stoneware baking dish from Le Creuset or several of these cute single-serving versions, also from Le Creuset.

As always, we're mad about our vegetable peelers. (Last year, Claire pitted the straight peeler vs. the Y peeler and found the Y lacking.)

If you've developed a passionate love for squash, then you have something in common with Amy Goldman, author of The Compleat Squash: A Passionate Grower's Guide to Pumpkins, Squashes, and Gourds.

what you do

A quick grill brings out all the flavor of a fresh yellow squash in just a few minutes.

Yellow squash gratin with basil is just one step more complicated, and still simply delicious.

The delicate, moist texture of squash works well in a papillote, like this one with chicken, red onion and yellow squash.

We love to serve yellow squash and Italian sausage against the doughy backdrop of flat pappardelle noodles.

Featured recipe: If you're craving something crispy and fried, try these summer squash fritters with herbs. The recipe comes from Food 4 The Week, and is the featured recipe for this week's Root Source Challenge.