![]() |
Marina di Chioggia |
Marina di Chioggia
Also know as the "Sea Pumpkin from Chioggia", this Italian variety is from a seaport town by the Venetian lagoon that was once part of the Byzantine Empire. A member of the Cucurbita maxima family, it's a turban squash with dry, sweet flesh that keeps well. I think the dark blue green color is beautiful, and I love the bumpy texture. Chioggia is also the home of the beautiful, delicious red and white striped Chioggia beet, which I grew in our last garden and loved roasted and marinated in rice wine vinegar.
Amy Goldman in her wonderful book, "The Compleat Squash", says Marina di Chioggia was born to be gnocchi or ravioli. She's given us her delicious recipe for gnocchi with walnut sage pesto, but in addition to the recipes, I treasure the book as a reference when I want to identify something, and so that I don't wind up trying to cook with purely decorative varieties, and for the pure pleasure of looking at the pictures.
![]() |
Galeux D'Eysines |
Brode Galeux D'Eysines (aka Galeuse D'Eysines)
The name of this unusual pumpkin translates loosely as "embroidered with warts from Eysines", a small town in the Bordeaux region of France. It may not be beautiful to everyone, but it is to me.![]() |
Jarrahdale |
When cooked, the flesh is very smooth, and it's often used for soups, sauces and pumpkin butter.
Jarrahdale
This lovely blue-gray pumpkin with stringless bright orange flesh is from Jarrahdale, New Zealand, and is said to be very similar to Queensland Blue. With a dry but creamy texture and rich flavor, it's used for both sweet and savory dishes and can be substituted for pumpkin.
A designer's friend, I can picture Jarrahdale in an industrial chic setting, or in a farmhouse kitchen.
The island's inhabitants today. |
At the moment the pumpkins are sitting on the island in the kitchen as part of a shape-shifting assemblage of decorative and edible items, but who knows where they'll wind up as the new treasures arrive and take center stage. Next I'll be looking for orange pumpkins, squashes and gourds to add vibrant color, and white ones for a ghostly note, and, well anything that catches my eye...