Vegetable Marrow

 I have this character trait of being so honest that I can't sell anything that I don't stand behind 100%.  It doesn't always make for the best salesperson, except that I LOVE most of the vegetables we grow, and I think that people love the authenticity behind my answers when they ask about something at the market.

So, a couple of our younger customers were asking about the vegetable marrow squash this weekend.  I tried some earlier in the year as a young squash (like zucchini: vegetable marrow can be eaten young or as a storage squash), and didn't love it.  Compared to the zucchini I did at the same time, it was bland and watery and tasteless.  So, I was harvesting some yesterday and decided to try it again, so I could genuinely say it was great when I had it with me at the market.  There is a contingent of market shoppers who snap these up two at a time when they see them.  One lady brought me a Vegetable Marrow Dessert that she made-- very similar to the citron preserve-- which was delicious, but not something I will be able to make until later in the fall (and she gave me the recipe, too!!).  So, what to do with these prolific & enormous white leg squashes??

I decided to stuff it with ground beef, leeks, peppers, celery, jalapenos, tomatoes, and a nice Japanese eggplant that I got from Greg when he gave us a garden tour this weekend (holy hell, his backyard is like a park... Two fish ponds, thousands of different rare flowers, GRAPES, veggies, the most huge herb plants I've ever seen, beautiful hostas, bay, a banana tree, in short: AMAZING!!).  The stuffing tasted amazing and I topped it with panko breadcrumbs.  I cooked the squash for about 20 minutes with garlic and butter, poked with a fork, before adding the stuffing and finishing baking.

The result:  I don't know what people see in this squash.  It is bland and flavourless, the texture is inferior to zucchini, it added nothing to my dish other than making Jon and I think: this would be SO GOOD if it were stuffed in a Kabocha or a Buttercup.  BOOO, Vegetable Marrow.  You suck!

So, I still won't be able to sell this squash, and will have to bite my tongue when shoppers tell me that they love it roasted or boiled (yek!) or baked.  Good thing there are lots of different tastes in this world, this one just doesn't do anything for me personally.  For those who love it-- Lucky!-- More for you.  Go nuts, there are lots, and I will be sticking to my Kabochas.  :)

(Sorry for the crappy photos, broke my camera last week and have to go get a new one tomorrow... An essential tool for me!)