Growing up at the tail end of the Great Depression and during the Second World War on Pokiok Road just north of Saint John , New Brunswick it would be an understatement to say that " times were tough " and leave it at that. We lived on the fine edge of outright poverty and were it not for my father's working longshore as a stevedore plus his intensive gardening in Summer and my Mom's making every wee bit count , life would have been far more onorous. It was in this setting that I grew to love squash and pumpkin in some form as they were part and parcel of our daily diet from September until supplies in our makeshift root-cellar ran out some time in early March or April of the following year. Folklorically speaking people usually refer to pumpkins and squash as vegetables whereas science classes them as fruit since they and cucumbers , melons , etc develop from a flower while veggies do not !! Even today ... many years later... I still remain a huge fan of these gourds , the generic term used to cover all these tasty items. In fact , I think I shall peel and cook up the small green Buttercup squash in the foreground of the title picture. Sufficeth to say I LOVE GOURDS !!
In the above image the Buttercup is in the foreground sentinelled or flanked by two Acorn squash , a type I eat very little of along with Spaghetti , Butternut and Turban squash. In the background on the left is our classical pumpkin and to the right is a " potiron " atop which I have placed a Turban Squash which I might just dry out , empty and make into an Easter bonnet for my friend , Cindy Anne.The " potiron " is very popular here in Québec .... even meriting a special word other than " citrouille " to set it apart from our everyday pumpkin. It is a great favourite among gourmets for making soup..... even bottled and sold in grocery stores. The " potiron " , as you can see below , is quite squat ..... flattened out...and deeper orange in colour than is its pumpkin kinfolk. My QUESTION to my esteemed and knowledgeable readers is DOES ANYONE KNOW A POPULAR WORD IN ENGLISH FOR " POTIRON " ?
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