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Post by canadamike on Jan 16, 2008 1:07:34 GMT -5
Last month in Toronto, I went to the chinese market on Spadina street. An old man had squash for sale, I kik my butt for not having offered money for the seeds. I was planning on coming back the next day but could not make it. The squash was big, kind of shaped like a small ROUGE VIF D'ESTAMPE, but with incredibly thick yellow-orange flesh and the most beautifull PURPLE skin. The seed cavity was very small, and the fruit was about 1 foot large and 6-7 inches high, heavily but very regularly ribbed like the classic Cinderella pumpkin. Does it ring a bell with anybody? Is there a repository of squashes pictures on the net? I hate to hate myself, I need to find peace, and my butt hurts!   |
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Jan 16, 2008 10:53:59 GMT -5
No friends on Spadina who could pick one up for you, a squash that is, LOL
Did you look through some of the different varieties on Baker Creeks site? What about Revolution Seeds? Kitizawa?? Evergreen??
Maybe you'll just have to go back to the GTO and buy one!
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Post by lavandulagirl on Jan 16, 2008 11:40:44 GMT -5
www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Squash.aspThere are about 150 photos on this site, Michel. Was the color (colour?  ) as definitely purple as aubergine? Or could it have been more of a blue? I'd definitely be interested in what it was, in any case. Sounds pretty.
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Post by Alan on Jan 16, 2008 15:06:46 GMT -5
If you do manage to find out what it is exactly or you run into some seeds I would definetly be interested in a seed sample to play around with.
-alan
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Jan 16, 2008 20:46:33 GMT -5
I thought about the 'blue' colour all day too. I even took Baker Creek catalogues to work with me to think this over. Jarradale? Sweet Meat?? OOOOOOOOOOOOOooooo, That link you posted is awesome Lav!!! Just don't tell Flowerpower about it..she'll want one of everything there and then she'll have to share with me Michel, What about the Thai Large on the MBG Kemper Centre site?? Oh and Mike, the Neck Pumpkin's we were talking about in the chatroom last night are listed on that link as well. Don't forget to look for them too, while you are searching for the Spadina Squash  |
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Post by flowerpower on Jan 16, 2008 21:46:36 GMT -5
OOOOOOOOOOOOOooooo, That link you posted is awesome Lav!!! Just don't tell Flowerpower about it..she'll want one of everything there and then she'll have to share with me oh I saw a few things on there I didn't have. I will gladly share with my neighbour to the North. |
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Jan 16, 2008 22:12:14 GMT -5
I knew you would |
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Post by canadamike on Jan 18, 2008 22:40:25 GMT -5
the best description is very definitely a '' smaller purple ROUGE VIF D'ESTAMPES''. a COUPLE OF SHADE PALER THAN THE DARK AUBERGINE, DARKISH PURPLE NEVERTHELESS. The meat is a beautifull orange. This is the most aestheticly beautifull vegetable I have seen in my life, a pure work of art.
When the old man was slicing them in the typical pie shape fashion, I noticed during the 10 minutes I was looking at Him that passerbys ( or bies?) could not resit the fantastic mix of orange and purple, and the perfect proportions of the fruit. He would slice them, put them there and they would go in seconds. He was very old, slicing was hard on his hands, so to take a brake he finished a squash and stopped cuting. Nobody stopped to buy anything , even if they looked. He resumed cutting and it started all over again
Please help, put me out of my misery and lets find that work of art.
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Post by canadamike on Jan 18, 2008 22:45:02 GMT -5
Lavandula, thanks for the site. The most resembling one would be jarrahdale, if it was purple
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skip
gopher
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Post by skip on Mar 13, 2008 7:37:50 GMT -5
Michel et al - it would not have been Jarrahdale. It is a Western Australian heirloom and has never ever displayed a purple skin, always gray. Think again!
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skip
gopher
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Post by skip on Mar 13, 2008 21:05:21 GMT -5
Hi Again Michel - then again, it may not be commercially available. It may be a family or community heirloom. All the more reason to buy it and save the seeds. The more restricted the distribution of such heirlooms the more at risk they are of becoming extinct. If you do manage to secure it I would love a few seeds to grow it Down Under.
Skip, in Oz
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Post by canadamike on Mar 21, 2008 20:28:03 GMT -5
If I return to Toronto soon, I will go there again. And bet that I will do anything to put my hand on it. And if I get some, my buddies here will get some too, promised
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Post by bunkie on Mar 23, 2008 11:22:40 GMT -5
that sounds like aa beautiful squash canadamike! i've googled all over the place and haven't found anything like it yet. will keep looking.
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Post by canadamike on Mar 23, 2008 14:54:38 GMT -5
I agree, I looked everywhere too. I swear, I have NEVER seen such a perfectly vegetable or fruit in my life. I am soooooo pissed I could not return to buy some...When I saw it, I had loads of grocery bags in both hands, a crippled right shoulder, so carrying the stuff was hard, and on top of it I had a strained (?) ankle... with 2 miles to walk...
There are times when you hate yourself.....I should have downloaded some stuff to one of the poor people that was there, there were many mothers with kids, it was apparent they had few means...
Michel
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Mar 23, 2008 20:36:30 GMT -5
Kinda silly question Michel, but have you looked at the Markets in Ottawa? Maybe the vendor in T.O. has relatives/friends in Ottawa and they sell them there as well??
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) as definitely purple as aubergine? Or could it have been more of a blue? I'd definitely be interested in what it was, in any case. Sounds pretty.
