The Complete Squash book ?

[Seahorse]

Ok, let me see... a few uses of chicken stock, a couple of recipes using duck and chicken, one with shrimp, one with beef and one with foie gras (boo! even as a meat eater, I'm not going there ) but the vast majority are vegetarian. There are some quite interesting looking breads, cakes and desserts!

Absolutely no pics of blood!

[veg4681]

It's a lovely book!!!

The main (and best, IMO) part of it is a guide to the many varieties of squash, listing them by family and within that by name, Latin name, size, weight, colour, fibre, date of introduction (to the US), best use and seed source (again US though). Each squash is pictured in fabulous, BIG colour photos. It's quite a 'coffee table' book, in that sense.

There are also sections on how to grow (mainly organic), harvesting, hand pollination and seed saving. There are a few recipes at the end but not too many and they do look useful and not things I'd seen before.

My only gripe is that it's an American book and very much written for the American market (using 'we' and 'us' to meet US gardeners, not necessarily anyone else and referring to American folklore and practices).

That said, I'm delighted with it and feel it will be very useful, as well as pretty to look at. I need to go and buy some more squash seeds now...

I feel like I need that book too . Nah I've got self-control only because I keep complaining our house's too small.

If you're planning to get more Squash seeds (sorry is it just Winter Squashes?), I hope to save a lot of seeds from my harvest this year (subject to success) and would be able to spare you some so if you want to avoid the list of variety below, please do so. Please free to grow them anyway if you can't wait till next year, just thought I let you know.

Butternut Ponca
Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato (Acorn type)
Buttercup
Black Futsu
Cornell Bush Delicata
Red Kuri

Besides supermarket also sells winter squashes which may be doubly useful for seeds. I've seen these at Sainsbury; Crown Prince (PW's fave by the way), Buttercup, Harlequin, Acorn but check that they're not hybrids.

[smallblueplanet]

....Absolutely no pics of blood!

Lol! You're a star - now if only you hadn't bought the cheapest copy!

[Seahorse]

Thanks for the offer Ami! I think I have all of those except Cornell Bush Delicata. I have quite a few other varieties too - with a bit of luck, we might be able to do a self-saved seed swap next year?

[momol]

Thanks for the offer Ami! I think I have all of those except Cornell Bush Delicata. I have quite a few other varieties too - with a bit of luck, we might be able to do a self-saved seed swap next year?

Many thanks for the book recommendation Seahorse . Sorry for my belated reply, just got back yesterday. Will make some order of it.

[AuthentikStyle]

Which would you choose if you only had �20.00ish?

It's a lovely book!!!

The main (and best, IMO) part of it is a guide to the many varieties of squash, listing them by family and within that by name, Latin name, size, weight, colour, fibre, date of introduction (to the US), best use and seed source (again US though). Each squash is pictured in fabulous, BIG colour photos. It's quite a 'coffee table' book, in that sense.

There are also sections on how to grow (mainly organic), harvesting, hand pollination and seed saving. There are a few recipes at the end but not too many and they do look useful and not things I'd seen before.

That said, I'm delighted with it and feel it will be very useful, as well as pretty to look at. I need to go and buy some more squash seeds now...

So seahorse... Can I please ask... From the books mentioned in this old string, which would you choose if you only had �20.00 to spend. I know the Compleat Squash book is stupid money now. But, would you choose it over one of the other books mentioned?

Cheers