Topic: Pumpkin Varieties

[Dandytown]

Does anyone have any experience in growing the following? ...  any advice or review would be most welcome.

Pumpkin
Snowman Pumpkin
Blue Moon
Rouge vif D'Etampes

Squash
Lunga Piena Di Napoli
Loofah

I can whole heartedly reccomend Japanese Black Futsu which were extremely tasty.  I still have room on next years plot for some more if there are any 'mustgrows' to add to my list.

Thanks

[earlypea]

Hi Dandytown

Actually I haven't grown any of those, but I've seen your question dangling there and it's very quiet.  I know people here like Rouge vif d'etampes and I think people have also grown Lunga Piena Di Napoli

There's a great long thread here from this year with us all droning on and on about our lovely squashes and posting photos, I was personally ecstatic all summer over my Queensland Blue and it's definitely the best tasting of mine.

How are everyones squashes doing
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,61844.0.html

there's another long thread in the swaps forum with other squashes people were growing this year too, but I can't remember the name.

What are you going to do with your ripe loofahs?

[Duke Ellington]

I grew Snowman pumpkin this year ....I haven't eaten it yet but I grew it for Halloween. I was a little dissapointed in the shape of it as it was more oval/egg shaped and was a litte unsuitable for carving.

I dont hold out too much hope with regard to its flavour but I will let you know.

Duke

[chriscross1966]

Lunga di Napoli get stupdily big IMHO.... taste OK, quite stringy flesh, bit like a spaghetti squash but they are large... ROuge vif D'Etampes is lovely to look at but I've not tasted one yet....

[gwynleg]

I tried loofah's - had two plants but no sign of any fruit at all. They were outdoors.  I had wonderful ideas of giving friends loofahs as xmas presents!!

[saddad]

Etampes is a great pumpkin for soups/cakes... not the best for roasting..  :)
Good in curries too

[Dandytown]

Thanks everyone for your feedback.

I think I will certainly grow Rouge vif D'Etampes, if only for the look and since I already have the seeds I will also grow Lunga di Napoli despite them getting stupidly big.  Will just need to plan the recipes to use it all up.

I was attracted to Snowman as it is pretty an unusual but I really want to grow for flavour.

I here honey bear squash are very tasty.  Considering that you didn't get any loofahs Gwyn, i think I will take the porecaution of growing two of each where I can.

Thanks all

[1066]

Hi dandytown -
I had some Snowman seeds but managed to kill the plant before I got any fruit! Having read up about it, the taste is not meant to be great, the idea of a white pumpkin was what appealled to me

I've grown Rouge Vif D'Etamps this year, and we've eaten one so far. Lovely - and they look great too  :) And will be growing it again next year  ;)

I think Grannie Annie has grown the honey Bear squash - so she might be able to help. But they do look lovely

1066  :)

[Dandytown]

Thanks 1066,

I think despite it's looks, the Snowman has been dropped.

If some Honey Bear do not turn up on the squash swap list I will buy some and share as I am very keen to grow them.  I have a patch on the plot especially for bush type squash and this one ticks all the boxes.

I will certainly grow Rouge .....  and Bon Bon and am exploring a few others such as triamble and Jarahdale.
There are so many varieties and I want to grow them all :)

Dandytown

[Susiebelle]

Strangely I am not exited over the taste of Bon Bon - very sweet and very dry - much prefer Butternut varieties, but then I have only roasted so far perhaps theres a better way of cooking them!

[1066]

There are so many varieties and I want to grow them all :)

Dandytown

Aaaaahhhh, welcome to the mad mad world of squash - we've got another hooked  ;D  8)  ;D  8)  ;D

[pigeonseed]

that is really evil use of emoticons 1066.

Yes, we have another squash fanatic! Why do we love squash so much? Is it because of all the different shapes and colours? (Or is that just me  ::))

[Duke Ellington]

I think Bon Bon makes lovely soup too !!

Duke

[saddad]

Etamps and Crown Prince...  ::)

[1066]

that is really evil use of emoticons 1066.

where's the emoticon for an evil laugh.................

And Saddad has just upped the game by mentioning Crown Prince, so I will add Queensland Blue to the list to try  :-X  ;)

[galina]

Strangely I am not exited over the taste of Bon Bon - very sweet and very dry - much prefer Butternut varieties, but then I have only roasted so far perhaps theres a better way of cooking them!

I love them in rice.  For 4 people I take  1 buttercup squash, half if they are very large, cut into half inch cubes, no need to peel, just cut off hard bits and blemished bits.  Fry cubes gently for a couple of minutes in a saucepan in olive oil, add garlic and salt, add one mug of rice, basmati is divine, add 2 mugs of water. put on lid and let boil very gently for 10 minutes.  Then let stand another ten minutes with gas off.  The lid stays on all the time.  All the water will have been absorbed by the rice,  and the rice and the squash will be cooked.

You can do this with other vegetables too, for example with oca or with any leftover vegetables.

[saddad]

You could also try Marina da choggia(?) and Muscade...  :)

[pigeonseed]

Yes marina di chioggia is also very nice. Somewhere, probably on this forum, someone said it was nice grilled with rosemary and salt sprinkled on top. They were right  :)

[Dandytown]

I grew Marina this year and the plant pushed out three pumpkins as if for the three bears.  I gave away the little and medium ones and kept the largest which was 55lb.

I tried making a puree for ravioli (used and 1/8th which was lots) but over did the garlic and made it inedible.  We went away and I am sorry to say that the rest got spolied :(

I did get me thinking about growing pumpkins that I could almost consume in one or two sittings.  May try again!

[1066]

Strangely I am not exited over the taste of Bon Bon - very sweet and very dry - much prefer Butternut varieties, but then I have only roasted so far perhaps theres a better way of cooking them!

I love them in rice.  For 4 people I take  1 buttercup squash, half if they are very large, cut into half inch cubes, no need to peel, just cut off hard bits and blemished bits.  Fry cubes gently for a couple of minutes in a saucepan in olive oil, add garlic and salt, add one mug of rice, basmati is divine, add 2 mugs of water. put on lid and let boil very gently for 10 minutes.  Then let stand another ten minutes with gas off.  The lid stays on all the time.  All the water will have been absorbed by the rice,  and the rice and the squash will be cooked.

You can do this with other vegetables too, for example with oca or with any leftover vegetables.

This reminds me a bit of a recipe I do with pumpkin and Bulghur wheat, very similar to yours Galina, but I add a stick of Cinnamon in it - works a treat and makes a change from standard rice / pasta.
For the rice, have you tried adding some sage into the mix when you fry the pumpkin up? Also delicious!

probably on this forum, someone said it was nice grilled with rosemary and salt sprinkled on top. They were right  :)

 ;D   ;D  ;D at you Pigeonseed  :D