On Mon, 26 May 2008 17:22:39 +1000, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

:
:"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
: I'm thinking about planting a hill or two of cushaws this year instead
: of zucchinis. I've never grown them before and I have a packet of seeds
: that I bought last year mocking me... They are supposed to be prolific,
: and I don't need that many pumpkins.
:
: I seem to recall Ma making a mock apple pie in _Little House on the
: Prairie_ using a green pumpkin :-)
:
: Thanks,
: Bob
:
:Marrows and squash are generally eaten quite immature but in my view pumpkins
:need to ripen to be tasty. Try it, you won't poison yourself, but I don't
:think you will like it.
:
avid

They look very like zuchini when very young and there's no reason you
can't use them like zuchini. Even the plants resemble zuchini. The first
pumpkins I grew, I took for zuchini until I realized that the fruits
weren't going to be long and skinny. I didn't realize that they were
pumpkins (volunteers) until told. Now I grow them every year. I switched
to kabochas (Japanese pumpkins) when I got a volunteer of those. They
are smaller and not as prolific, but much more tasty, far better
tolerant of cool weather, and over-winter far far better. In fact, I
have 5 or so left from last summer! Meantime, my present crop is sending
up female flowers, and as usually happens, there are no male flowers
around to pollinate the first females.

Dan