Tromboncino

Quite a prolific producer and one that I will be putting in our garden next year.

These little wonders, which can grow really long, are very hardy, and can produce far into the fall. I have had the pleasure of getting them from a friend’s garden, while they are away, and yes, even when they are here. They are such a high yield plant, they can’t keep up with the production from just a few seedlings.

And, they love to hide in the center of the vines, where you can’t find them until they get quite large. I missed this one last week while we were food bank harvesting, and another one even bigger, at the top of one of the trellises. Thankfully, they came home and could get the latest monsters out of the vines.

This Italian heirloom is not the same as a zucchini, but is closer to the butternut squash. It is a cucurbita moschata.

What is interesting to me was finding a picture from a trip to Italy years ago.

I never noticed the tromboncino hanging to the left of the door in the above picture. They obviously can grow to great lengths.

I have been making fritters with them. Freezing the fritters. Also freezing the shredded vegetable in two cup bags. Perfect to pull out to make bread all winter. They are a little more like yellow squash in taste, and definitely not as water logged as zucchini.

Thanks to a fellow gardener, I have a new vegetable to try. I am currently drying out some of the seeds from the last one I harvested. Next spring, I will be planting my own.