J. M. Levinton

A Farmers Market, Delicata Squash, and Laurie Colwin

• October 01, 2018
• Blog
• 2 Comments

I went to the Pleasantville train station this weekend to pick up a friend and there was a farmers market set up in the parking lot. I’m a sucker for farmers markets. They always give me the feeling of a tiny village congregating to do their daily shopping, with the scent of fresh dill and apples in the air.

This time there was music!

I’d never seen fresh turmeric before and was tempted to buy it but had no clue what to do with it. Maybe next time?

And then I saw it: Delicata squash.

In Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen, Laurie Colwin extolled the delights of this particular squash in her essay “How to Disguise Vegetables.” For years I thought about this elusive (well, elusive to me) squash. And there it was.

I tried this recipe and yes, some things are as good as the fantasy. But it was more than that. Ms. Colwin’s writing made me want that squash. I doubt I would have given it a second glance if not for her opinion—and she had very definite and entertaining opinions on food. Thanks to her, I now know that I do not like capers but zucchini blossoms are an interesting treat.

So go, read her books. Eat and live and argue with the pages if you must. Have fun and immerse yourself in her world, which, after all, is the aim of many good books.

And don’t forget to stop by a farmers market.