The Frost Finally Did Them In

Way back on April 14th of this year, I planted some seeds that a friend gave me on the row right in front of the okra.  They were seeds (he told me) of a squash called the Tahitian Melon Squash.  It is supposedly the sweetest squash there is ~ even sweeter than butternut squash. 

The Tahitian Melon squash seemed to languish in the garden for most of the spring and summer.  No blooms.  No fruit.  Oddly enough, once the weather cooled somewhat, the plant took off!  It invaded the back half of the garden, creating long vines, huge leaves, blooms and fruit!  It was so prolific, it was hard to pick okra, because you had to walk around the vines so as not to damage any of the growing squash.

Finally, about a week ago, our first frost finished off the plant.  I went out and picked all of the squash off of the vines and put them in a 5 gallon bucket.  The leaves and vines had been decimated by the light frost.  I wanted to pick the squash before they began to deteriorate.  I think there was about ten of them.  They made a nice seasonal centerpiece on the supper table. 

Tricia cuts them in half and roasts them in the oven.  We use a spoon to scoop the flesh out and eat it as a side dish.  Very smooth, creamy and sweet.

I asked Tricia to save the seeds off of the biggest one so that I can plant more next year.