Can you guess the most popular squash in North America?
It is the butternut squash, of course. It’s what I hear, and it is also what we note at our farm stands. But this market bias should not keep you from discovering other varieties of squash we produce.
In some parts of Europe, and more particularly in France, the direct competitor of the butternut is the potimarron
– a European squash in name only…which you can find in the Land of the Rising Sun where it is commonly called Red Kuri. I have a penchant for this squash : it has a delicate chestnut flavour and it can be served up in a soup, with its skin. Unconditional squash peelers, take note.
I won’t dwell on the delicata – a hands-down favourite with many already given its ‘delicate’ taste.
There are three more squash we produce that are worth mentioning : our acorn squash, our black futsu (another Japanese squash, an heirloom variety that dates back to the Edo dynasty) and the simple buttercup, which rivals the potimarron or the butternut as a superb soup squash.
I conclude this note with a brief ode to my spaghetti squash
– a squash I have produced in industrial quantities this season for some unknown reason. Perhaps the least loved of all, it is nevertheless a personal fave of mine; with its subtle aromas, all it requires is a drop of olive oil and a dash of salt.
As you all may have surmised by now, the squash of the week is indeed the potimarron.
So, in your baskets this week you will find the following vegetable line-up : a red kuri or two (or an acorn or a delicata), potatoes, turnips, some Chinese (or Nappa) cabbage, some leafy greens, beets, a surprise root vegetable and more…
We look forward to seeing you all again.