This summer squash is excellent when small, smooth and firm, and with nice color. As it gets older, the flesh whitens and toughens.

Buy young spring pattypans picked when half-ripe or mini pattypans to preserve in vinegar.

Since pattypans are picked when immature, they should be eaten as soon as possible.

Keep in a cool place without any plastic wrapper.

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To know if the squash is cooked, poke it with a knife as you would do with a potato. Its tender flesh can be scooped out with a spoon.

Sauté thinly sliced pattypans, seasoned as you would a sauté of chanterelle mushrooms.

They go well with highly-flavoured accompaniments: stuffings with ginger, vinegar, sweet and sour soups.

M. Lachaut preserves mini pattypans in vinegar and uses them for many things:

> Presented alone or with cornichons, they bring a festive atmosphere to platters of pâtés, terrines and cold meats.

> Whenever possible use mini pattypans raw. Cooking over high heat makes their flesh pasty and slightly sour.

> Mini pattypans are a good match for a full-flavoured tannic wine.

> As an hors-d'oeuvre on little skewers: place a prune, a cube of tuna, and a mini pattypan. Top it off with a sweet and sour cherry. 

Prepare like stuffed peppers.
If you decide to stuff the pattypans, cut off the lids; hollow out the inside with a spoon; heat some butter and oil in a skillet until foamy, add onion and cook gently until translucent; add meat and spices; cook for 3 minutes longer; blend in some bread crumbs; stuff the pattypans and place them in a baking dish into which you’ve poured 1/2” of water.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350° F, covered with aluminum foil. They can be served on their own, or with a tomato or white sauce, depending on the ingredients of the stuffing.
At the end of the cooking time, you can remove the lids and gratiné the pattypans by laying a piece of brie cheese over the stuffing.

Stuffing for a one-dish meal
Squash flesh, mushrooms, chicken breast and shallots, diced and sautéed; add cream, mint, parsley, salt and pepper and bake for at least 30 minutes in a 350° F oven.

Like in West Indies
Serve pattypans stuffed with a knob of butter or a mixture of ground beef, tomatoes, sautéed onions, garlic and ginger.