End-of-winter squash

Last summer I found a volunteer winter squash growing under a small tree in the new semi-shaded perennial bed. Odd, I thought, since I hadn't put any of my own compost into that soil ... our yard, many years ago, was a barnyard, and the soil is wonderfully alive and rich and not so much in need of amendments; mulching, and coffee grounds, seem to keep the flower beds near the house quite happy.

Being a sucker for such curiosities, I let the squash grow unimpeded through the daylilies, wild bergamot, echinacea, and hostas, and at times thought its large leaves were not in the best interests of some of the newer perennials that hadn't reached full size. Eventually one big squash was produced, acorn-shaped but a deep yellow-gold, unlike anything I had grown before in the vegetable field. A parent of a hybrid, perhaps.

I cured it along with the butternuts and delicatas and acorns and other squash, and then set it on the kitchen island. And left it there. I kept thinking, hmm, ought to give that rogue squash a try ... and still left it there.

Finally, now that it's March, I realized I'd better get to it. This squash has amazing keeping qualities! So I saved the seeds, and roasted it up. It was moist, amazingly, and delicious with butter and cinnamon ... worth deliberately planting this year.