WHADDYA CALL IT?

A couple of weeks ago I found this squash or perhaps pumpkin at a roadside farm stand near Woolwine, VA. (Don't you just love that name, Woolwine?) What's it called? I asked. Permelon, the farmer answered.

Then I saw this bin of Pink Bananas between Fruitland and Hendersonville:

The very next day, at the City Market in Asheville, there were more of these long, cylindrical squash, with a sign that said CANDY ROASTERS.

What gives with all the names?

Turns out they are all of the Cucurbita maxima family, which makes me wonder if the squash were so named because of the faint cucumber scent of its flesh.

I do know that Candy Roasters, Permelons, and Pink Bananas are all prized heirloom squash that old-timers are quick to tell you that of course, they're great for making pies. "Or whatever you do with pumpkin," said one impatient older lady.

FROM THE CHEROKEES

The Cherokee people cultivated this squash that migrated to North America, from South America, by the 16th century, and eventually shared the seeds with European settlers. Today, it's still grown all over the southern Appalachians.

Georgia has a variety of Candy Roaster, and sites post "do not confuse with the Carolina Candy Roaster which is slightly different." And vice versa . . . As if one state could lay claim to the delicious orange and sweet flesh. The variety also makes its home in Bangladesh, Burma and India. How's that for traveling around the world?

Part of my trouble in identifying the Candy Roaster aka Pink Banana also known as a Permelon, is that the C. maxima varies so much by shape, size and color. It can be pink or blue or gray. Tubular, round, tear-drop or squat. Most weigh in at 15 pounds, but can grow as large as 250 pounds.

ROASTING THE "THING" - HOW TO

I love roasting veggies, so thought I'd roast the Candy Roaster/Permelon with a sweet onion.

So to best manage this long squash that hung over my cutting board, I chopped both ends off, then sliced open the middle. The scent of cucumber floated up. The center was full of round, plump seeds, and the filaments scraped away easily.

After simply slicing off the outer skin of a couple of those middle pieces and chopping them into bite-sized pieces, I quickly realized I'd have enough to feed an army, more than enough for the three of us. So with the other half, I left the skins on and placed them cut side down in another pan to roast alongside our dinner. I'd use those pieces in a soup the next day.

The chunks of squash were mixed in with a sweet onion also cut into chunks, drizzled with olive oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Placed into a 350 degree oven, within about 40 minutes or less the squash was tender and fragrant. After it was out of the oven, I seasoned it again after tasting, and sprinkled some chopped fresh oregano from the garden over the mixture.

Not as sweet as she expected, said my daughter. But good. Very good. And so easy to prepare, too. I like that!

SOUP'S ON!

Okay, October should be full of brisk fall days begging for sweaters and soups. This week, records have been set in the 80s. Not exactly a fall soup day, but there was the squash thing I had already roasted.

So I chopped up half of a large onion and sauteed it in a little olive oil. Stirred in some minced garlic. Then I pureed the squash, along with the cooked onion and garlic, all in the food processor, adding a little bit of chicken stock to loosen it up. I then added that puree to the pot, and stirred in some chicken stock until it was the "soupy" consistency I wanted.

Seasonings? It could be the French style, with fresh or dried thyme, esp. But my tastes buds were remembering some "pumpkin" soup from the Caribbean, probably made with a calabash or huge squash, that got its savory flavoring with nutmeg.

Freshly grated nutmeg is very worthy sensory experience. A bit sharp at times, spicy, unlike what you think of as a traditional pumpkin pie spice. A favorite use of nutmeg is grating it over a creamy Painkiller, that tasty cocktail with rum and coconut milk from the British Virgin Islands. And freshly grated nutmeg takes sauteed fresh spinach to a different level.

So the recipe for Candy Roaster Soup? There's one in THE NEW BLUE RIDGE COOKBOOK from the outstanding Asheville chef, Mark Rosenstein. Or, you can just follow the steps I outlined above and wing it, tasting and seasoning as you go.

To top off my soup, literally, we grilled some shrimp wrapped in bacon (all natural, pasture-raised from Hickory Nut Gap Farm), and placed the skewers across the shrimp. All of us wound up dipping the shrimp into the soup. . . a glorious and tasty combination.

I'd say that C. maxima was worth it's weight....for $2 dollars we had a marvelous roasted veggie one night, and a terrific soup, with leftovers, the next. Not matter what it's called, what an heirloom veggie. I'll try a pie from it the next time.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP is a favorite on a cold winter's day.  It conjures up days sailing in and around Grenada, where we fell in love with their local gastronomic treat, Pumpkin Soup.  Fresh nutmeg from this "spice island" was always grated over the top, right before serving.  That aroma sends me images of tropical beaches, trade winds and swimsuits and warms my soul. 

Turns out their "pumpkin" is more like the butternut, which is available locally. 

Kept in a cold spot, but not the fridge, butternut squash will keep from its late fall harvest through most of the winter.  It's easy to roast, just by halving and seeding, or even to peel and saute in a bit of oil, then adding a bit of water, simmering until it's soft enough for using in recipes.  Added to risotto, it makes for such a rich dish full of flavors.  

But our favorite is SOUP. I like to roast the squash, because it seems to be sweeter and have a more intense flavor.

My family is fairly lactose intolerant, so we do not add cream or milk to the recipe below, making it a very healthy, low-cal dish.  However, for those of you who can tolerate both the dairy and the extra calories, you could add at least one cup of cream or milk.  

Just make sure you grate some fresh nutmeg over the top before serving.  One whiff can send me all the way back to Grenada.  

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Serves 6 as a first course, or 4 for lunch

1 medium butternut squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium to large onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic, peeled

about 1 quart or more of chicken broth or tock, or vegetable stock, or water

optional: 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced fine, or 1 teaspoon ground, dried ginger

salt and pepper to taste

Garnish Options: dollops of soft cheese or chevre; swirl of cranberry oil; chopped 

pistachios or walnuts; or plain or herbed croutons

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Slice butternut squash in half. Using a spoon, scoop out seeds. Rub olive oil 

over the cut surfaces, then place squash cut-side down on the foil.

3. In a small square of aluminum foil, place onion and garlic. Seal, and place 

beside the squash on the baking sheet.

4.  Bake until the squash is very tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.

5.  Peel skin from the flesh of the squash, which should come off easily, or else 

scoop flesh with a spoon.  Place squash in the bowl of a food processor.  (Or use a potato masher and chop onions and garlic).  Add onions and garlic, and process until a smooth puree.  Add chicken stock a bit at a time while machine is running, until you have the desired soup consistency.  Be careful, however, not to overfill machine, as it may ooze!

6.  Place puree and broth in a large saucepan or smaller stock pot.  eat, over medium to low heat, and simmer until mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.  Taste and add seasonings, including ginger, as desired.

7.  Serve in large soup bowls, and add preferred garnish to the center, or serve plain.