Wow. Tonight for supper I cut into a 32 lb squash, not a simple task I tell you.
As I explained to my friend Emily, I'm sharing this baby. Some for me, some for the puppies, some for the chickens. And of course some for Joey, my pig, who is tiring of tomatillos on his stringent no grain diet.
The squash in question is a fabulous heirloom variety, "Musquee de Provence".
The wonderful Seed Savers Exchange, (whose seed I sell!) describes it as:
"(Cucurbita moschata) (aka Potiron Bronze de Montlhéry) An heirloom cheese pumpkin from the South of France, introduced to American gardeners in 1899 by Vaughan’s Seed Store in Chicago. Gorgeous squashes, up to 20 pounds in weight, look like wheels of cheese, and ripen from green to burnt sienna. Deep orange flesh is dense and of superb table quality. Very long shelf life. Intolerant of cold. 110 days. "
Mine clearly got a little larger than 20 lbs, and it was a true surprise to find them all.
They crept into a bit of a valley, and grew to this massive size while shaded by tall meadow grass.
What to do, what to do?
Did I mention there are lots of them?
Well thanks to two magazines I subscribe to for the inspiration. Edible Buffalo got me thinking of squash in a way I'd never considered, with a recipe for "Raw Butternut Squash Salad" (Fall 2011,Number 14).
And Mother Earth News with a great little page on roasting squash and pumpkin seed . Great magazines both.
I also found this recipe which appeared in The New York Times. And yum , it worked with my squash too.
Give something different a try!
RAW WINTER SQUASH SALAD
1 butternut squash(about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled, seeded and grated.
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used organic canola)
1-2 Tbsp sherry vinegar, or to taste
1 Tbsp minced ginger
salt and pepper
Combine squash , raisins, oil, vinegar and ginger in a salad bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Toss, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to several hours.
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