You can fry it, bake it, or mix it with cheese, but shredded summer squash mixed with chocolate takes the cake.

The garden that got off to a super-slow start this year is making up for lost time.

Two summer squash plants (Cucurbita pepo), their leaves covered in powdery mildew, are producing more squash now than I could have imagined at the beginning of the season.

Instead of worrying about pollinating them by hand, I’m working hard at picking them while they’re still small, buttery-yellow and tender. Just like puppies, they’re easier to give away while they’re still young and cute.

In addition to sharing them with friends and neighbors, I’ve  sliced squash and baked it into delicious casseroles; shredded, mixed it with Parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary and fried into pancakes; tossed with olive oil and grilled; and cut into quarters for crudites.

I’ve also shredded a colander full, steam-blanched and packaged it for freezing.