This experimental squash was inspired by a walk through the field, many Octobers ago. On the horizon: rows of delicata plants bearing still-green fruit, with no time to mature before the frost. Usually, these immature fruit simply go to waste, but in this case, they sparked a culinary epiphany. Vegetable breeder Michael Mazourek decided to develop a delicata for multipurpose use, with chefs co-selecting for flavor in both the immature and mature fruit. Picked green, the immature delicata create a delicious new category of summer squash, noteworthy for its delicate crunch. And the mature fruit stand out for their sweet and tender flesh. With zero waste as the end goal, more experimentation soon followed. Inspired by traditional uses of Cucurbita pepo stems and leaves across cuisines, Michael continued selecting for sweeter, less fibrous petiole stems. The blossoms are also edible, encouraging a truly stem-to-fruit approach for chefs, growers and eaters. Text and photo courtesy of Row 7 Seed Company.
Care: Plant 4-5′ apart in rows 6-8′ apart in full sun. Leave on the vine as long as possible, until rinds have hardened. Bring in after the first light frost, before rains.
Squash (Winter) ‘Tetra’ Delicata
Description
This experimental squash was inspired by a walk through the field, many Octobers ago. On the horizon: rows of delicata plants bearing still-green fruit, with no time to mature before the frost. Usually, these immature fruit simply go to waste, but in this case, they sparked a culinary epiphany. Vegetable breeder Michael Mazourek decided to develop a delicata for multipurpose use, with chefs co-selecting for flavor in both the immature and mature fruit. Picked green, the immature delicata create a delicious new category of summer squash, noteworthy for its delicate crunch. And the mature fruit stand out for their sweet and tender flesh. With zero waste as the end goal, more experimentation soon followed. Inspired by traditional uses of Cucurbita pepo stems and leaves across cuisines, Michael continued selecting for sweeter, less fibrous petiole stems. The blossoms are also edible, encouraging a truly stem-to-fruit approach for chefs, growers and eaters. Text and photo courtesy of Row 7 Seed Company.
Care: Plant 4-5′ apart in rows 6-8′ apart in full sun. Leave on the vine as long as possible, until rinds have hardened. Bring in after the first light frost, before rains.
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