Be catious of your neighbors

In Germany a couple were given a gift of zucchini from their neighbors. They quickly made the batch into a stew to use the vegetable while it was fresh. The stew tasted bitter but nothing they couldn't handle and thought nothing of it. Later on they each got sick and went to the hospital after the husband's face had turned yellow. She was able to be treated but like all good husbands, he ate more and ended up dying. The culprit, cucurbitacins. http://www.thedailymeal.com/heidelberg-germany-zucchini-toxin-poison/82315

These are a toxin found in gourds and pumpkins, they have been bred out of most public sources but a family farm that uses their own seeds can still see some cases. The bitter taste also helps keep people from eating a whole lot of it. They are part of the plant's natural defenses against herbivores.