MLK DAY

So Martin Luther King Day....day of rest, reflection....me getting up at a the butt crack of dawn to go to a worthless meeting at my part time job. Yes on my day off I get to go in...in full uniform mind you..to train on a new computer system that frankly...the trainers were even a bit perplexed with. The only saving grace...SEEDS!!! Yes, my inner dork took over when I left and my Tahoe, aka Tahlua, aka The Earth Deystroyer, headed under it's own influence to the store. I picked up seeds for a variety of winter squash, snow peas, fennel, and larkspur.

I have a dirty secret...well I have many but this one is just dirt under the finger nails dirty. I FREAKING LOVE WEIRD VEGGIES!!! I am the kid that grew up in the middle of nowhere that will knock you down for a grilled bulb of fennel, I will murder your favorite Barbie Doll for a nice butter nut squash ravioli sauteed in sage butter. That last one gets me very nostalgic. A great friend that is no longer with us gave me that super easy and awesome dish!!!

Ok, back to my weird fixation with cucurbitas aka squash. Most people think...oh bland, tasteless filler on a kabob or killer buttery mushy goodness cooked in bacon grease. YES!!! OMG YES!! I have not met a squash I did not like. Stuffed ones, fried ones, stewed, grilled, baked, made in to cookies, pies, and once dehydrated..but that is another post. They are so easy to grow and so pretty. The greens, blacks, yellows, oranges, and white hues. I think you all need to expand your taste buds and grow some freaky deaky squash this year!

So having said all of this, the packet of mixed seed I picked up is spaghetti squash, acorn, butter nut and lakota. Now we all have had the funky spaghetti squash, steamed or baked and used with sauces or what not. More than likely we have tried baked butter nut or acorn squash as is or used to make the best "pumpkin" pie you will ever eat. The Lakota....this is a new one to me. It is bright orange and green. Ok it has the color to make me ooh and ahh. Supposedly it is nutty. I take this to mean it tastes like a suupped up version of a butter nut. They fruits can be 4-10lbs in size as well. I hope all my friends reading this really like pie and soup.

I will keep everyone posted on how these new trials turn out. I know I love having rambling winter squash vines take over my one section of the yard. It gives me an excuse to have it look unkempt. What that? oh oh that is my squash area...no no no the grass is fine...has to look weedy...lets the er..ah lets the beneficial insects have plenty of cover...yeah thats it.