x

The Front Range here in Colorado has seen no snow so far this fall. It’s kind of a big deal, apparently. According to Brad’s internet research, the latest that Denver has ever seen snow is somewhere around November 21st. So basically, if we don’t get snow for the next two weeks, we’ve broken some sort of record. I’m extremely, almost perversely happy about this because I think snow is highly, HIGHLY overrated.

So all this “hot” weather (read: temps in the 40s-60s) extended the growing season on the front range. The Boulder Farmer’s market, which usually closes on the last weekend in October, is staying open for two more weeks in November. I ventured up to Boulder yesterday to see what delicious things I could cook.

I came home with a large bag of curly and lacinato kale, some baby bok choy, and some green onions, all of which I’ll be using up tomorrow. I got some multi-colored carrots, too. Then I got a large Cinderella squash, which I’ve heard makes an excellent pie pumpkin… we shall see! And then I got another squash, but it’s like the Unidentifiable Squash-Like Object, because I have no idea what kind it was… and neither did the 9-year old girl who sold it to me. We traded ideas on how to pick out squash – she said the more barnacles a squash has, the tastier it is. My theory is similar: the uglier the squash, the better it tastes.

Then I got down to the last stall, manned by Isabelle Farms, which had a veritable MOUNTAIN of acorn and kabocha squash. As I eyed two kabocha, I asked the lovely girl who was manning the table how to pick out a good winter squash. Her response?

“Well, there’s really no way to tell which will be the tastiest. My advice? Pick the squash that speaks to you.“

Ahahahaha. I love it.

x