Annual Winter Squash Ritual

Of all my vegetable crops, none is more full of flavor and nostalgia than winter squash. This tough-skinned deep orange vegetable (the cooked texture resembles mashed potatoes and is delicious served with butter and a little salt and pepper). It was a favorite on the fall table in my parents home when my 7 siblings and I were growing up in Wellesley, Massachusetts. At the end of the season, I gather all the ripen fruits just prior to the first frost and take a photo of them. My family members think this is bazarre and wierd, but we gardeners do wierd things sometimes. Here are some of the 2008 shots.