Homeowner Forum / Lawn and Garden / June 2006

Kinda looks like a pumpkin or squash of some kind? Cataba melon? I think
that is spelled wrong

Betsy

Looks a whole lot like a Mexican Tatume squash. Squash and pumpkins are
all in the same family. I grow Tatume every year, best eaten at between
baseball and softball size but I let a few get very large for the
greatgrands to use as baby pumpkins at Halloween. The smaller ones are
very tasty: poke a knife into the squash a few times, put it in the
microwave at high for three or four minutes. Take it out and cut in
half, scoop out all the seeds and the connecting tissue. Make a mix of
ground pork sausage or ground meat, flavored the way you want it. Stuff
it into the two halves and microwave or bake until done. Makes a one
dish meal for two people.

George

Dawn said:

Oh yeah, it's some kind of C. pepo squash.  It would cross with zucchini,
but not turn them orange.  

Andy writes:
 It looks like a punkin to me.....

I remember back in high school when a carload of us got drunk and
decided to go out in the country and raid a watermellon patch.  We
grapped 3 or 4 good sized ones, and were drove away just as the
farmer was firing his shotgun ( into the air, thank God)..
  When we stopped and cut the things open, we had stolen some
really nice pumpkins.......    Looked a lot like your picture......
... when we got them into the light.......

Moral:   Never steal watermellons without a flashlight,...

                           Andy in Eureka, Texas