Whether you write it eight-ball or 8-ball, it's a round zucchini squash hybrid that was developed in California. We've been seeing it this season at farmers markets along with the more common tubular zucchini, yellow squash and pattypan. You can prepare it like any squash, but what a shame not to take advantage of its shape.

CHERYL DIAZ MEYER/DMN

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This basic recipe is extremely flexible, depending on your mood and what's in the fridge. If you want to turn the squash into an inexpensive entrée, add 6 to 8 ounces of ground beef, Italian sausage or ham to the sauté. If you have leftover tomato paste, you also could add a tablespoon or so. You could use shallots instead of onion or Grana Padano instead of parmesan cheese. You could even throw in leftover rice or finely chopped, roasted red peppers or hot sauce. And, finally, you can substitute ordinary zucchini if you don't have eight-ball.

Kim Pierce

Fill a big pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cut 4 eight-ball squash in half horizontally. Cut just enough of the stem end off for that half to sit flat. Trim off the end of the other half so it also sits flat. Scoop out the pulp to create a 3/8 -inch-thick shell. Reserve the pulp. Boil the shells in salted water for 2 minutes. Remove and drain.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a baking dish large enough to hold the halved eight-balls.

Finely chop the reserved pulp. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped pulp, 1 small onion (minced) and ½teaspoon dried Italian herb blend or thyme and sauté until tender. Remove from heat and combine with ½cup bread crumbs , ¼cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons minced parsley , several grinds of black pepper and salt to taste.

Place stuffed eight-ball halves in the prepared dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through. Makes 4 servings.

Peaking or abundant: Eggplant, green beans, asparagus, artichokes, tomatoes, peppers, squash, broccoli, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, peas (such as black-eyes and creams), fava beans, greens (collard, turnip and mustard), herbs. Root vegetables, including beets, carrots and russet potatoes, turnips, red potatoes, okra, onions, 1015 onions, spring onions. Avocados, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, kiwis, mangos, papayas, pineapples, Valencia oranges, cantaloupes, honeydews, watermelons.

Starting: Early soft fruits (such as apricots, peaches and plums), cherries, figs

Spotty or out of season: Citrus other than Valencias

FARMERS MARKETS: The produce information provided by the Dallas Farmers Market can be applied to most other farmers markets. Some, such as Coppell and McKinney, also have foods such as pastured meats, chicken and eggs. Coppell has gulf and Alaskan seafood.

DALLAS FARMERS MARKET HIGHLIGHTS: Local conventional growers have early-season field tomatoes and peaches, blackberries, squash (pattypan, eight-ball, zucchini and yellow), onions, green beans, new potatoes, herb plants, food-bearing plants and local honey in Shed No. 1.

Saturday only: Find Super Sweet bicolor corn. Farm merchants in Shed No. 1 have fresh peas (purple hull, cream and black-eyes) and cantaloupes from South Texas. Saturday only in Shed No. 1, look for organics at the Farmer-Rancher Network or Dis & Dat Organic Farm, including broccoli, blackberries, yellow and zucchini squash, eggs from pastured hens, Italian sausage, Porgo (pork-goat sausage) and pastured chicken.

Note: If you are going to the market for a specific item, call 214-670-5879 for availability.

Copper River salmon watch: Experts say the season is about three weeks behind because of low river levels and low fish volume. Expect prices to remain high and supplies to be scarce.

East: Haddock

West: Lots of fish from the West Coast besides Copper River salmon, including halibut, rockfish and Dover sole

South: Yellowfin tuna

Imported: Mahi mahi from Guatemala

Farm-raised: Littleneck clams

SOURCES: Joe LaBarba, American Foodservice; Tony Johns, City of Dallas Farmers Market; Marianne Marcinko, Ocean Beauty Seafood Co.