Squash refers to a diverse group of gourds (genus Cucurbita) harvested as vegetables, divided into summer squash (tender skin, quick cooking, like zucchini) and winter squash (hard rind, sweet flesh, long storage, like pumpkin/butternut), both rich in nutrients, offering various shapes, colors, and textures, enjoyed cooked or raw, and growing on vining plants in sunny, well-drained soil.