What is the number one must-have for fall decorating? It’s the pumpkin of course! It’s a mandatory staple for Halloween, but pumpkins are versatile when it comes to decorating, and they can take you all the way through the fall into Thanksgiving! Most of you are probably familiar with Howden pumpkins which are ideal for carving, or Sugar pumpkins which are common in baking, but we carry some lesser-known ‘unique pumpkins’ which make a statement in any home, or on any stoop. We’ve rounded up a list of a few of our favorite gourd-gous pumpkins just in time for fall!

 

Howden

One of the best pumpkins for Halloween carving or roasted seeds.

 

Casper

Don’t be scared, this ghostly white pumpkin is named after the friendly ghost Casper! Perfect for carving and even better for painting. Caspers provides great contrast in fall gourd and pumpkin displays. The flesh is super sweet, making it a great choice for pies and baking too!

 

Peanut

The French heirloom Galeux D’Eysines Pumpkin is a very popular variety right now! It has a beautifully warted exterior which is a very soft muted buckskin color. It also makes for a delicious pie!

 

Red Warty Thing

Don’t be fooled by the peculiar appearance! Not only is this a super fall decoration, but it also has stringless, fine-grained flesh that’s excellent for eating, similar to a hubbard squash. Carve a face into it and make the most bizarre and spooky jack-o-lantern on your block!

 

Fairytale

These can be used in any pumpkin recipe. Puree to make the perfect pumpkin butter or soups or try roasting or grilling to enhance the sweet flavor.

 

Sugar

Sugar Pumpkins are great for making soups or stuffing. It’s also great as a homemade pumpkin puree for pies.

 

Cinderella

Yes, the name derives from the fairytale as the shape of Cinderella’s carriage! This variety was reportedly cultivated by the Pilgrims for the first Thanksgiving dinner with perfect flavor for pies or winter squash recipes.

 

Blue

Sweet flavoring lends itself well to pie fillings, scones, and cakes. You can also use roasted pieces in risottos, salads, and pasta dishes. Dice and add to curries, soups, and stews. To showcase the unique exterior color slice into wedges leaving the skin attached and serve roasted or grilled.

 

Pink

Very eye-catching for holiday decorations. Deep-orange sweet flesh can be used for pies, soup, and gourmet culinary delights.

 

One Too Many

This pumpkin, which resembles a bloodshot eye, features delicate orange veining throughout.

 

Striped Tondo

This stunning ornamental squash/pumpkin features speckled, deep green stripes atop a beautiful creamy gold.

 

Cheese

This long-lasting pumpkin looks like a flattened wheel of cheddar. Higher in nutrients and sugars, it’s always smooth-grained and has a denser flesh that will result in a better custard. You can also use chunks in your winter roasts and stews.

I was in a little bit of a jam last week, we were down a trailer because it was being serviced and I needed to move our mini excavator to a friend’s house; I was helping him level out his front yard. I called in a favor from Rose’s next door and they let me borrow one of their trailers. When I went and grabbed it, we took a walk over to check out the progress of their newly planted vineyard. Each grape has this blue tube around them which protects the plant, makes them grow up towards the wire support system, keeps water at the root zone, and creates a little greenhouse effect for each grape plant. Pretty cool, now you know when you drive down route 139 and see all those blue things, there are grapes in there! Walking back to the truck, I laid eyes on their strawberry fields, I couldn’t believe how many strawberries there were and so

many ready to pick. I immediately started laughing thinking of Nora and her friend Theo. Last year they went strawberry picking at Rose Orchards and Theo’s mom joked that they looked like extras in The Walking Dead. I told this to Jon and Nate, then I quickly retracted my statement, “I mean of course they paid for all the strawberries they picked they wouldn’t have tried any”. Maybe instead of weighing the container of strawberries picked they should weigh the kids before and after they pick!

Every time Nora comes to the farm she has to check out Papa’s garden and see the strawberry plants. My wife kept telling her that it is too soon for strawberries but Nora, being a toddler, has to check for herself. Our strawberry plants are pretty young and they will take a few years to become plentiful but it is amazing to teach Nora how to pick her own strawberries. “We only pick the red ones, right?” Nora is doing a pretty good job at not picking too many that aren’t ready.

Strawberries are Nora’s favorite and one of the few foods that we know she will never refuse to eat.
Now that strawberry season is upon us, I can wait for Nora and my wife to harvest their hearts out. Sometimes it means daddy gets one of my favorite desserts! Strawberry Buckle! Not quite cake and not quite a cobbler, aka an excuse to eat it for dessert or for breakfast. After a little persistence, my wife has let me share the recipe with all of you! Happy baking and happy strawberry season!!

Strawberry Buckle:

Preheat the oven to 375

1/2 cup Smart Balance spread or other vegetable spread
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
21/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup French vanilla yogurt (we use stony fields farm)
2 pints of strawberries cut up

Topping:
1/2 cup+ sugar
1/2 cup + flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup smart balance or other spread

Cream together 1/2 cup smart balance, 1/2 cup sugar, egg, 21/2 teaspoons baking powder. Stir in flour and yogurt a little at a time. Spread batter into a 9×12 Pyrex style pan and sprinkle strawberries over the top. In a separate bowl, combine softened 1/2 cup smart balance 1/2 cup + of sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Add cinnamon.

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

** hint place a baking sheet under the pan in case the strawberry juice bubbles over.

Ryan Van Wilgen