Sicilian summer squashes, the cucuzze, grow from June to the end of August. In this period the cucuzze are offered all over Sicily, in all vegetable markets and at a very reasonable price; in the United States and in areas where Sicilian-Americans live, summer squashes are available in farmers markets, or else if you have a green thumb they can be grown without much effort in your own backyard.

The squash has a pale green skin and white flesh and seeds, which are both edible; it has a sweet taste, pleasant mild flavor and a good and firm consistency. They grow in trellis to allow the plant to expand, so the fruits, the cucuzze, which grow over 2 feet long, can hang down. The tips, buds, vine tendrils and the end leaves called tenerumi, are edible, and can be served as a side dish or with broken spaghetti, the pasta with tenerumi.

In Sicily, the plentiful cucuzze are preferred for the easiness of the preparation, for the delicious taste and for the many health benefits. In fact, the cucuzza besides being low in calories, helps the digestion because of its high fiber content, it prevents constipation and helps to lower blood sugar. Among other benefits, it is anti-inflammatory, it contains various vitamins and manganese, it lowers cholesterol, it prevents cancer, it is beneficial to the prostate and it helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

In my family, the cucuzze were mostly cooked alla ghiotta with garlic or onions, olive oil, basil, and a little tomato either concentrated, canned, sun-dried or fresh; however my aunt Francesca, who lived with us, sometimes prepared the zucchine in bianco, without tomato, but garnished with diced cheese, which she added to anything she cooked. A potato cut in quarts and sliced thin, can be added to make the cucuzza soup creamier and thicker.s