Happily the season for squash continues for more than a month after the Halloween costumes are packed away. Today I want to introduce a family that grows an assortment of culinary squash available at the neighborhood's Bowood Farms.
The pumpkin growing venture at the O'Brien family farm, situated between Troy and Eolia, Missouri, came about in one of those parent-child "bargains" that in our case rarely worked. When Brendan O'Brien, left (shown holding a watermelon with sister Claire with a giant Cushaw squash), was a senior in high school he told his father, Brendan Sr., that he needed internet service at home for his school work. Father told son he would have to earn the money to pay for it.t
Young Brendan looked at the field of pumpkins on their 5+ acre farm, loaded them up and trucked them to a 4-way stop in Troy where he earned $1200 over the next two weekends. The venture paid for the internet but, more importantly, it triggered Brendan's interest in growing many varieties of culinary squash that are now available in the neighborhood. That interest also led Brendan to Missouri State University in Springfield, MO where he's earning a degree in biotechnology.
Since Brendan was still away at school at the start of this summer's growing season, he was not able to get his squash crop planted until July 20, which his father was sure was too late to get much of a yield. However, as you can see in the photo above showing siblings Maura, Claire & Connor (Brendan had returned to school when this photo was taken), there was plenty of squash to bring to the CWE.
Following are images of the many varieties of culinary pumpkins from the O'Brien farm available at Bowood for roasting, soup-making (Bowood has a great spicy squash soup recipe they'll give you); and some that are best for hollowing out and stuffing (ask for the Baked Pumpkin Cheese dip recipe) – or to use for fall decorating.
Varieties include Galeuse D'Eysines or peanut pumpkin, above, LaEstrella Calabasa and Speckled Hound , Jarrahdale, and Blue Hubbard* squash. The blisters on the peanut pumpkin are actually sugar in the skin.
The tiniest squash arrived in egg cartons, above.
Some of the largest include hauntingly-gorgeous "Big Moon" pumpkins that can be glitzed-up for outdoor Christmas displays if kept in a covered spot, $25.
Bowood Farms, 4605 Olive, (314) 454-6868.
*When Ellen Barredo, Horticultural Specialist at Bowood, lived in Minnesota she learned that Blue Hubbard squash, which grow to be quite large, were shipped by rail to New York City to feed the hungry during the Depression.