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cucurbita
pepo 2004
ALL
PACKETS OF Cucurbita pepo CONTAIN APPROXIMATELY 20 SEEDS UNLESS
OTHERWISE NOTED
Costata
Romanesco
90
days to full maturity, 60 or so to summer-squash status-6 to 8
pounds at full size-dark green with yellow stripes and flecks
at maturity, beautiful mottled dark green all over when younger.
Bush habit. The king of zucchinis, from Italy. The first zucchini
of any kind appeared in American catalogues only in 1921, but
it has now become an indispensable vegetable. Costata Romanesco
is praised for being tender and tasty even when quite large (full-grown
specimens reach two feet or more in length). One experienced grower
says they're "the only summer squash worth bothering with, unless
you're just thirsty." The name means "Ribbed Roman," a reference
to the striking raised yellow ribs running down from the stem
end. $10.00/oz. ; $2.50/pkt.
Winter
Luxury Pie
95
to 100 days-6 to 8 pounds-yellowish-orange with thick overlay
of beige netting. Vining habit. A classic old-time pie pumpkin,
introduced in a lighter yellow incarnation by Johnson & Stokes
in 1893, and superseded by the present, more orange-colored strain
after 1920, when it was introduced by Gill Brothers of Portland,
Oregon. Unique muskmelon-like netting and fantastic flavor set
this one apart. Basic round, slightly squat pumpkin shape, with
no ribbing. The favorite pie pumpkin of Glenn Drowns, Curator
of Vine Crops for the Seed Savers Exchange. Definitely one of
the best. $3.00/pkt. LIMITED QUANTITIES ONLY
Yugoslavian
Finger
100
days-4 to 5 pounds-usually white, sometimes dark green. Bush habit.
A striking (though not particularly tasty) squash looking something
like an overgrown Crown of Thorns. I still remember being wowed
by the first one we grew--the main part of the fruit is rather
barrel-shaped, with ten huge fingers splayed out in all directions
about halfway down. This has been a very productive and reliable
variety for us. $3.00/pkt.
Long
Pie
100
days-5 to 6 pounds-dark zucchini-green maturing to pumpkin orange.
Vining habit. One of the very best for pies-if we had to choose
only one pie pumpkin, this would probably be it for me and the
wife. The fruits are almost a perfect cylinder, slightly rounded
at top and bottom. Do not hesitate to pick this variety after
90 or 100 days even if it is still dark green-the idea is that
it will orange up in storage, letting you know when it is ready
to make a fantastic pie when very little green remains. The origins
of this fine and unique pumpkin are shrouded in mystery. It has
been grown in Maine for many years and apparently was so widespread
a couple of generations ago that many people who grew up on farms
never saw a round pumpkin before leaving home. Vegetables of New
York considers Long Pie to be a synonym of the Golden Oblong pumpkin
introduced by Burpee in 1889 and speculates that it bears some
relationship to the classic Small Sugar pumpkin (see below). A
different story has it that Long Pie was brought to New England
from the Isle of St. George in the Azores (off the coast of Portugal)
by a whaling ship in 1832. But the true origin of Long Pie may
be indicated by its exact resemblance to the Algonquian pumpkin
of the same geographical area, an old Abnaki Indian variety. $10.00/oz.
; $2.50/pkt.
Styrian
Hulless
90
days-10 to 12 pounds--striking dark-green squarishly-blotchy stripes
over a bright yellow background. Vining habit. This pumpkin is the
mainstay of the pumpkinseed oil industry of the region of Styria,
Austria (also home to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governator of California).
The seeds have no hulls so they can be eaten raw, or toasted, or
roasted, or pressed into oil without de-hulling. Pumpkinseed oil
has been shown to be effective against prostate cancer and is chock-full
of vitamins, minerals, etc. As these are bred for the seeds, the
flesh is likely to be pretty disappointing in flavor, although some
sources recommend it for pies, etc. A really good-looking pumpkin.
Cracking one open and eating the buttery seeds right after picking
is quite a treat. The seeds are also a treat for gophers and other
beasties, who like to dig them up as soon as you plant them, so
watch out. $4.00/pkt. VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES- ORDER EARLY-ORDER
OFTEN
Turner
Family Pumpkin
95
days-6 to 7 pounds-luscious deep orange with burgundy flecks.
Hefty for their size, thick-fleshed, often warty, and more furrowed
than ribbed, the Turner Family is one of our favorites (and not
just because Turner is my wife's maiden name). Although it does
make a decent pie, this pumpkin's real strength is its rugged
good looks. Compared to the smooth monochrome hybrids of today
it stands out as a "real" pumpkin. Just slightly taller than wide,
with a broad short stem. $3.50/pkt. LIMITED QUANTITIES ONLY
Delicata
Sweet Potato
95
days-1 pound-dark-green stripes on a creamy yellow background.
Vining habit. Numerous small fruits shaped rather like cucumbers.
Although readily available and sought after today, Delicata waned
in popularity soon after its introduction in 1894, displaced by
Delicious and its fellow maximas (see below). It then rode back
into wider use on the coattails of Table Queen Acorn and the "Small
Pepo Revolution" of the 1930s. Its taste is thought by some to
resemble that of sweet potatoes, hence the name. Was also known
at one time as Peanut, Bohemian and Ward's Individual. $15.00/4
oz. ; $8.00/oz. ; $2.00/pkt.
Sweet
Dumpling
90
days-1 pound-dark-green speckly stripes on an eggshell-white background.
Vining habit. This prolific and prominently-ribbed single-serving
squash often has a deep cup-like depression around the stem, curving
from these strong shoulders to a rounded blossom end. One of our
customers' favorites for taste. Apparently originated in China
or Japan. $30.00/4 oz. ; $12.00/oz. ; $2.50/pkt.
Vegetable
Spaghetti
95-100
days-4 to 6 pounds-solid bright yellow all over. Vining habit.
Stems are often twisty and beautiful. Shaped like a blocky oval.
This is a fine open-pollinated spaghetti squash, and really does
fluff out into perfectly passable (though differently-textured)
spaghetti noodles when baked-an amazing transformation if you've
never seen it before. As near as I can tell this was the original
spaghetti squash, originating in Manchuria in 1890 and coming
to the notice of American growers through its introduction in
Japan in 1934. Now widely available. $10.00/4 oz. ; $5.00/oz.
; $1.50/pkt.
Connecticut
Field
110
days-18 to 25 pounds-clear yellowish-orange. Vining habit. A classic
jack-o'-lantern pumpkin that has clearly stood the test of time,
as it seems likely that this was the pumpkin that greeted the
Pilgrims as they arrived in New England determined to push the
previous inhabitants (and cultivators of the pumpkin) aside. Lighter-colored
than most of the hybrid carving pumpkins on the market today and
lightly ribbed, Connecticut Field most often sports a unique slightly
flattened and voluptuous shape. They are also light-weight for
their size compared to more recent varieties. This was virtually
the only large pepo available until the 1970s, and we find it
still to be our most dependable variety among dozens of large
pumpkins year in and year out. It may not produce the largest
or heaviest or most spectacular pumpkins in the patch, but it
never completely flops like newer types are apt to do. Also known
at one time or another as Big Tom, Canner's Supreme, Georgia Field,
Indiana Field, Michigan Mammoth, Vermont Pumpkin and Pure Gold
(not to mention Eastern Field, Western Field, and Southern Field--this
pumpkin gets around). $10.00/4 oz. ; $5.00/oz. ; $1.50/pkt.
Montana
Jack
90
days-12 to 14 pounds-medium orange with numerous tiny bursts
of
yellow all over. Vining habit. A really nice medium pumpkin bred
to mature quickly in northern climes. SORRY--NOT AVAILABLE
THIS YEAR--MUST BUILD UP SEED STOCK
Young's
Beauty
95
days-9 to 10 pounds-another good medium-sized pumpkin. $10.00/oz.
; $2.50/pkt.
Small
Sugar
100
days-4 to 6 pounds-medium to light orange, often peppered with
reddish brown speckles. Vining habit. This heavily-ribbed pumpkin,
at least in its present incarnation, exhibits some variation in
shape, from round to strongly shouldered to squat. It has been
a standard since its inception prior to 1863 and was the most
popular pumpkin in the country for many decades, a common volunteer
in the cornfields of the Northeast. Now widely available, it remains
a very tasty pie pumpkin and a nice contrast to the oversmooth,
somewhat character-less hybrids of today. (A couple of years ago
the most fantastic throwback Small Sugar showed up in our patch,
uncharacteristically large and with all the best features of this
fine variety greatly exaggerated-marvelously shaped and such a
deep orange that it was almost red. Seed from this pumpkin is
now part of our breeding program…) According to many sources Small
Sugar is identical to New England Pie, but this has not been the
case in our fields. Has also been known as Mother's Famous Pie,
New Boston Golden Sugar, New Yellow Sweet Potato Pie, Rhode Island
Sweet, and Yum Yum. $10.00/4 oz. ; $5.00/oz. ; $1.50/pkt.
Royal
Acorn
80
days-2 to 3 pounds-medium green in a "watercolory" sort of way.
Vining habit. One of the few non-bush varieties of acorns on the
market today (although 40 years ago the situation was reversed).
Acorns were introduced in Iowa in 1913, and were apparently derived
from a similar squash grown by the Arikara Indians of North Dakota.
They are now a staple in supermarkets all over the country, where,
for some reason, they are sometimes known as Danish squash. The
Royal Acorn tends to be rather large and more square-shouldered
than other acorns, the wavy ridges at the crest of each of the
prominent ribs also setting them apart. $10.00/oz. ; $2.50/pkt.
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