Winter Squash, Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

Another winner of the Slow Food's Ark of Taste list. Long Island Cheese Pumpkins are a local variety celebrated throughout New York in the last couple of years—and rightly so! First described as early as 1806 by Bernard McMahon in Philadelphia, it is a fantastic pie squash producing 6-to-10 lbs fruit with a fine, thin rind and light ribbing. It preserves in cool dark spaces, and tastes so sweet. Grow a lot and save some for those winter soups!

Winter Squash: Home grown Winter Squash are a special sweet treat for later in the year. And if they are allowed to cure, they can be stored and eaten for months to come! Usually growing on long vines they do well either sprawled along the ground or trellised if you are help support them a little bit.

Growing Tips: Winter Squash loves deep, rich garden soil so make sure to work in a couple scoops of compost before planting. I strongly recommend planting the seedlings into a mound of soil about 8 inches high to help the soil drain well.