All the ingredients for this soup were home-grown (well, except the black pepper!).  The potatoes are just now ready to dig, and the pairing of the fresh potatoes and the patty pan squash give this soup an unusual flavor of artichoke!

Benning’s Green Tint is an heirloom variety of patty pan squash that has been one of my very favorite vegetables since the very first year I grew a garden.  The beautiful shape and color caught my eye when I was looking through the seed catalogue (I think it was Baker Creek, with all the beautiful vegetable pictures).  Over the years I’ve tried Golden Bush Scallop, and a green-and-white striped variety with a long, pretentious name (Patisson something or other).  But none of them have surpassed Benning’s Green tint.  I like that this variety is not as watery as regular squash or zucchini, and have a starchy, delicate texture, if picked young.  They sautee beautifully in butter, and have a slightly different flavor than other summer squash.

Mock Artichoke /Patty Pan Squash Soup

1 onion

3 tablespoons butter

3 fresh-dug potatoes, scrubbed

4 medium and small and tender patty pan squash

1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme leaves

1 quart broth or water

1/4 cup cream

1.  In a medium-sized soup pot, sautee the onion slices in the butter until clear.  Meanwhile, scrape or peel potatoes, and cut into chunks.  Cut off the stem and blossom ends of the patty pan squash, and slice them up into a coarse dice.
2. Add potato and squash chunks, and sprinkle with salt.  Cook 2-3 minutes with the lid on, until the vegetables are beginning to soften.
3. Add broth or water, and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.  Simmer until the vegetables are very soft, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Blend soup and cook on low heat about 5 minutes more.  Stir in cream just before serving.