peterography

My butternut squash vines have died off - victims, I guess, of radical swings in hydration and temperature, so I harvested the squash. Most of them looked ready to harvest anyway - a few still had green veins. Last year I had 15. This year I have 37.

It might seem like a lot but they last a long time. One of last year’s sat in my kitchen at room temperature until March when I finally cooked with it, and it was delicious. Prior to cooking with it I had been using it as a stand-in model to adjust my studio lights before the professional models arrived for shoots. Butternut’s smooth “caucasian” skin, made it a perfect substitute  for my nude models.

Butternut squash is remarkably versatile. I make soups, various baked and mashed squash, casseroles and desserts with it. And I love the seeds for snacks.