Celebrate Winter Squash

By Angie Lavezzo

Styrian Hulless Pumpkin

“Oh, fruit loved of boyhood! the old days recalling,
When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!
When we laughed round the corn-heap, with hearts all in tune,
Our chair a broad pumpkin,—our lantern the moon,
Telling tales of the fairy who traveled like steam,
In a pumpkin-shell coach, with two rats for her team!”

from John Greenleaf Whittier’s poem The Pumpkin

Winter Squash Season

I saw mounds of huge globes, turbans and coiling necks, in festive oranges, pinks and speckled greens at the farmers market last week. This delightful range of shapes, sizes and colors is all part of the Cucurbitacea family.

We sell many members of this family: several varieties of pumpkins and many winter squash (C. maxima, C. mixta, C. moschata, C. pepo). Most take 75 to 120 days to mature. Here are a few to consider for next year’s garden:

Cinderella gets it’s name from it’s flattened shape. It looks as if it is waiting for a team of mice to pull it home from the ball. Mature fruit grow up to about 20 lbs. and grow on a bush vine. Organic with excellent flavor.

Green Striped Cushaws are heavy yielding with a little shorter season (90 days). They make delicious pumpkin pies even though they don’t look like pumpkins!

Spooky Pie Pumpkins are also heavy yielding. Their 6 to 10 lb. fruits are fairly uniform and can be carved or eaten.

Table Queen Bush is an organic, runnerless bush version of the traditional Table Queen Acorn. It has thick, pale-orange flesh that cooks up dry and sweet. Plants are compact and productive.

Pink Banana Squash are long and large. The pinkish-orange fruit can weigh 40 lbs.! The taste is sweet and dry. It is an excellent keeper.

Cinderella Pumpkin

Winter Squash Recipes

Butternut with Browned Butter and Thyme simple and sublime

Mixed Squash Middle Eastern Roast made with yogurt cheese and skhug, a spicy Middle Eastern condiment made cilantro and chiles

Amish Neck Pumpkin Pie try it instead of the canned pumpkin this year!

	*Article Written by: Angie Lavezzo*
	About the Author: Angie Lavezzo is the former general manager of Sow True Seed. Beyond her professional role at Sow True, Angie's passion for gardening extends into personal hands-on experience, fostering plants and reaping bountiful harvests.