If you aren't eating some of the leaves of the plant. You are missing out on the best part. It's an amazing nutty flavor. I'm from Sicily and grew up eating the squash and the leaves of the plant. We have many growing in the garden and my kids love the leave soup as well.
My wife and I just planted these cucuzza squashs in are garden. I grew up eating them and my father and grand father planted these cucuzza quashes back in Sicily. They're great as you said in a stew. My favorite is cucuzza, onions, tomatoes all cut in chunks with garlic and olive oil and swiss chard in a pot and let it cook down in to a stew then add to spaghetti noodles cut short. Now that's a meal! Oh and you can also eat the leafs, they are delicious boiled then put in a bowl with a little of the water you boiled in and drizzle olive oil on them and maybe fresh garlic or boil then lightly saute in olive oil and garlic and enjoy.
Hey I am growing these for the first time, do they grow fast and sudden like zucchini? I have had vines growing all summer and finally just found 2 fuzzy green cuccuzzi!!
Been Sicilian I know them very well. My advise is to pick them much smaller than that size before they form seeds, you don't want seeds in your soups. I am not sure you knew that you can also eat the tender leaves, (the side shoot tips about 3 feet long) in Sicilian they are called "TENNERUMI" which means tender parts. Nice video.
+Domenico Giammona Agreed..I grow them on a large trellis like my grandpa from Sicily did.. They grow long but straight & slender.. I pick them around 2ft long, and let a few grow over 4ft for seeds... Grandma used to fry the flowers and side-shoots in olive oil & garlic.. Delicious..
I'll second the suggestion to eat the leaves/shoots :). I think I like those even better than the gourds! I saute an onion & some garlic in olive oil, fill the skillet with chopped cucuzza shoots/leaves, add a few tomatoes & salt (salt is more important to this dish than to most--really changes the flavor) & put a lid on until the leaves wilt. Then I remove the lid & cook it down to a sauce (just starting to caramelize). It tastes as though I've added Italian seasonings & is excellent on pasta or over lentils. If you *add* water, it makes a delicious soup. Harvesting the shoots helps keep the plants under control & I think they actually produced *better* when I harvested the shoots.
Thank you, that was so helpful. We just grew our first Cucuzza gourd, but didn't know to hand pollenate, or when to harvest! Thanks to our long growing season here in FL, I'll be able to do some hand pollenating, even this late, and should get a better harvest.
🍃 Just subscribed ; my parents grew these in South Louisiana, and my mom fried these, exactly, like Fried Green Tomatoes ! A delicious vegetable ! Thanks for sharing your time and garden with your viewers 👍👍 ( 10-19-2017 )
HI CHÁU WENDI PHAN ! My Italian Neighbore gave me this plant years ago and I grow them every year ! STIR FRY YOUNG LEAVES + GRAPES OR CHERRY TOMATOES + Garlic + ITALIAN ZUCCHINI = 👍
A neighbor used to grow these. He got the seed from an Italian gentleman he worked with. They would pick them when the fruit was about a foot long and the seeds were smaller. My neighbor would slice the cucuzza, dip it in seasoned flour, and fry it like fried green tomatoes. Once in a while I find some at a farmers market. They are so good. I think I will see if I can find some seed and try growing a batch next year.
I just love your videos. I look forward to watching them as soon as they are posted. there is no one like you on RU-vid. I can't wait to see what your next video will be. 😊
These are terrific. I love the hand pollination idea. Just one thing, though, if you pick them earlier, they are more tender and much less hard seeds. I have planted mine from seed in a greenhouse. I just planted young plants in the ground. Wish me luck!
You don’t need to peel them. I used to peel it too but my Burmese friends made some yellow curry without peeling. The young skin is edible, tender and delicious.
Hello Wendi! Just finished cookin' one of our fave vegetable the cucuza squash or patola in filipino, mixed them with green watermelon rinds and red bell peppers to add color and contrast...but most of all added super nutrients in those...add ons...sent you some via my messenger...hoping he won't get lost with the boys and Peter...LOL...Cheers!
I grow these here in South Florida on a trellis like my Sicilian grandpa used to... They are delicious, and fun to grow... I also have to hand pollinate since we have a real shortage of Bees, but that is easy and the way you demonstrate this works like a charm.. I peel, cut them into disks and fry in Italian breadcrumbs.. They are also great when you simmer them in Marinara.. Grandma used to make Cucuzza Parmesan to die for! If anyone is interested in growing these I recommend buy seeds from cucuzzasquash.com.. These are from the Cardaro farm... Thanks for sharing the Vid..
Just a little FYI, these cook up in my electric pressure cooker in less than 9 minutes. I peel them cut them remove the seeds they look just like they did in your video and they taste awesome
i like u showing amazing..yes i watch all yr video from now on..my father same like u good in planting vegetable or fruit but the problems we dont have big space..but thanks for showing yr amazing video,gobless.
Well darn Wendy! You made me even more hungry☺. Wile watching your video I was frying some green Papaya. The aroma was causing my feeding frenzy to escalate. Then you bite into that raw squash 😄 BAM! I now need Cucuzza seeds. Yes I'm that impulsive, and, I have no problem admitting to it! I don't know why exactly? But every thing you make a video about just seems perfect ☺ perhaps it's your love of your garden and growing things that shines through when your explaining things. But no matter I'm glad I'm following you!
+trebor hgils Mmm...I can smell the green papaya all the way here! How do you prep your green papaya for cooking/eating anyway? There's a lot of sap when it's green. I heard you are supposed to cut it to cooking size then soak it in water and rinse a few times to remove sap? I want to make green papaya salad, have you tried that? Just send me a self addressed envelope and I'll send you some Cucuzza seeds! Glad to have you here, subbie! :D
+Wendi Phan Yes the old sap question ☺ Here is what I do. Pick a green one . Because I wait till they are large sometimes the slightest bit of yellowing has begun to occur, meaning in general the fruit lighten up a bit. Or the skin looks a bit dull. When picked they drip☺. Then I walk into my kitchen wash off my fruit it sits in my sink untill dinner. I get my potato peeler same as the one you used in the Italian Gord video, peel it remove all the skin. Cut in half then I use a spiral slicer. I use it because for me it's faster! Kinda tricky to get it to slice sometimes but I make it happen. Then I cut the left over chunks by hand. Some olive oil and I fry it. WAMMO DELICIOUS. It cooks down in size. The pan starts out high but soon settles .. As to the sap! If you take deep green fruits peel them soak the peels in water, you get the world's best meat tenderizer. 😄 but because I don't need to tenderize meat I don't use it for that. You can make cuts in the fruit and the sap will drip . That is also meat tenderizer. I have used green Papaya in cooked pasta sauce. My guests all say "Trebor this is so good" I smile and say "Yes I know, it's home grown goodness" . The hard green Papaya need to have about 1/4 inch peeled off. If allowed to stay on tree till the skin changes the potato peeler removes the bad tasting skin . hope I answered everything correctly. this is quite a bit to type on my phone.😨 thanks for offer of seeds I'll try to get to it soon.... 😄
+trebor hgils Wow, Thank you so much for the valuable info! So appreciate you taking the time to type this long comment on your phone!! Our papayas don't really ripen or ripens incorrectly during winter so I really want to make some papaya salad. Also, the green papaya has the Papain enzyme that's good for the digestive system, which is why it's used as meat tenderizer. Homegrown goodness right! If there's extra papayas, I will try stir frying and adding it to pasta sauce. You got me hungry too! Thanks again Trebor!
My wife is sicilian and her parents used to grow cocuzza. She told me how her mother would "marry" the cocuzza, which I'm guessing is what you were doing @1:40.
I will tell you a secret ,the leaves are delicious too for making minestrone with cucuzza tomato and other ingredients .the leaves need to be soft to the touch and no bigger then your hand or little bit bigger .
Also I was wondering why we don't have one single squash it was because there's no pollinators I need to hand pollinate what's left of our summer here going into the warm fall!!
I have one growing in the garden walk way and this plant is getting everywhere!! And i even only have 1 plant! Its actually a seed that I dropped somehow last year and it sprouted this year. Do you think I should put something under the fruits so they dont rot? It's growing in the ground with pine mulch.
is sicilian cucuzza e tinnirumi.... you cane eat the leaves to.. a famous sicilian dish... minestra di tinnirumi is made with cucuzza and leaves. very good... buon appetito...
Looking up this one and noticed a friend thanks! Helps you feel at home watching friends older videos Anyway this would be technology a gourd? White flowers i think means gourds well some I want to grow squash that wont breed with each other possibly These would be a nice zuchini type but on a vine
Trying to find out how to save seeds. Leave on the Vine to dry or pick and dry off the vine? if pick and dry off the vine how do you know when it's ready to pick for that purpose? We have eaten so many we're turning into cacuzzas. I have canned them as pickles I have Frozen them for use in zucchini type breads and I have canned them in a light brine for using in fried squash and we are a little squashed out for a while
Hello Wendi- i want to start by saying i really enjoyed your workshop at the Heirloom festival in Santa Rosa- i came across this video looking for Cucuzza squash seeds. so i was hoping to buy/get some from you? i've had a really hard time finding them. thank you in advance. Sarah
Hi Wendy! My married name is "Cocozza" and my relatives call me "squash." I think my (former) in-laws heritage might come from this squash plant! I would love to grow these for my sons as part of their heritage. Do you sell seeds??
Wow! That’s adorable!! No seeds yet I have not grown these for few years due to not having enough space. Hopefully in the future I’ll have seeds again. Check out Wendiland.com for other seeds. Happy Gardening!
This was one of the only cucuzza videos I enjoyed. Do you have a tip to encourage more females? I have tried cutting some males back from main stem. What do you use to fertilize? Mine are in direct sun and growing slowly 😞 I'm in NYS and the weather has been inconsistent with alot of rain!! Thanks in advance!
I’m planning on growing this variety. How do you fertilize the vine? I do have bees in my yard is that enough for pollination? And bc they so big do they freeze well ? Or can I can it. Recipe advice ??
I dehydrated some one year and notice how sucked up the other flavors in a stew . One day I was short on apples so tossed in cucuzza chips to add some fill ..tasted like all apple ..soak in pineapple juice
hi Wendi. nice vids.want to stay eating healthy. I'm in south carolina. where can I find these seeds. would love to grow this nd also share with my cousin who lives in Florida.
I live in a desert. how you think it can do on Vegas desert? Clay soil... also, thats some crazy squash! I've seen antelope plants grow on clay without adding garden soil but... thoughts? I kind of want to do this but not sure if it will grow at all
Yeah in summers with 'outdoor air conditioning ' ( mist spray every 5 mins ) or small hothouse it may grow, but dry weather increases toxin content , beware. Don't eat if bitter. Dont let the cucuzza turn you into a puke-uzza
Yes, I've grown Wintermelon many times over. One of the easiest melon to grow you but you need to give it space. I've stored the melon in the basement a year and still edible. Let me know if you want some seeds.
Wow a year!? Now that's a great gourd to grow. Just that it takes up too much space for my garden otherwise would love to grow it. Thank you for offering to share. :)
+Bob Lt (BobMel's Gardening) One thing I forgot to mention in the video is keep the stem on the squash when harvesting. The stem will help extend the freshness in the squash so you can keep it for about a month or so if kept in a cool place. My guess would be you can freeze them after removing skin and cut smaller just like freezing other vegetables.
Hello, I was wondering if you would share/sell your cuccuza seeds. I grow bottle gourd and would love to try the cuccuza and compare! Thank you either way!
