Once Upon a Time

Sometimes you find something so cool at the farmers market, that you just have to take it home with you. Such was the case last year when I saw my first Fairy Tale Squash (Cucurbita moschata). I just had to show it to you. It's an old French heirloom known there as Musquée de Provence; that's the Musky Squash from Provence. Why the Musky in the name? I've no clue.

Way too big for home use, this rascal is perfect for restaurant service, weighing in at a hefty 15 pounds. Retail markets generally offer the squash by the individual lobe, which exposes the super dense, deep orange flesh that is pleasantly sweet. The seed cavity is relatively small in relation to the thickness of the flesh. This is definitely at the top of my list of favorite soup and pie squashes.

Now, where did those mice run off to? I have a slipper to fetch....