Its one of nature's curiosities that two of the first squashes on the scene in summer are at the opposite ends of the size spectrum - the whale-like
marrows and the saucer like
sunburst pattypans.
The pattypan has a tougher skin, but beyond that they are surprisingly similar - both are mild, and light squashes, with a low starch content (unlike the squashes that appear in autumn time) and so are ideal for steaming, or even microwaving!