[blackisgreen]

anyone grown these, are they easy ?do they need support?

[elibump]

I thought 'Patty Pans' were American for bun tins???

[Yorkie]

If you mean patty pan squash, I grew them last year along the ground without any extra assistance etc.

Just couldn't eat them as I had a reaction to a substance just under the outer skin when cut - quasi latex 

[Salmo]

Grow them the same as cougettes. Eat as cougettes when small, hand size.

[karooba007]

i am growing them for the first time. the plant isn't trailing, I think mine ins't a patty pan but a bush scallop. the fruit look the same.

[karooba007]

do they taste like cougettes

[HaggisWhisperer]

I'm growing them as well - I'm having a go with the pattison orange from real seeds.  I'm intending to try and train them vertically so it will be interesting to see if that works 

Nancy

[blackisgreen]

thanks all

[Oliver]

do they taste like cougettes

We grow patty pans every year (yellow ones) - you get yellow ones, green ones and white ones. They are the immature fruits of the custard squash. They are flattish and have a fluted edge.
They are 'bush' types and very prolific. Pick them when they are about 2" across and treat them like courgettes (they also taste like courgettes). when they get bigger cut them up, or slice them. when they are small use them whole in a veg stew. They are very useful to add colour and interest.

If you let them mature (about 10" across) they are like marrow. Pretty tasteless, but you can add lots of butter and stuff! (or fry them like gobs below!)

A good way to use them, and courgettes when you have a glut (as always happens) is:
take a lot of them (about 8 patty pans and 4 courgettes - you can vary the quantities depending how many people you want to feed and how much veg you've got), then grate it, or use a grater on a food processor.
Put the grated veg into a saucepan, add a good lump of butter and some salt and pepper and put on to cook - on the lowest possible setting. Cover with a lid and leave for 1 hour. Stir occasionally, but don't be too vigorous.
The water will cook away and leave a beautiful creamy 'mash' of white with green/yellow marbled stripes and a lovely texture and flavour.

This quantity severs 3/4 people.

[gobs]

I like them better than courgettes, I tend to grow the white ones and use rather sizeable, like a side plate. Sliced and blanched, then fried in batter or breadcrumbs they make a good meat substitute.