Quashed!

Trellised Squash

I’d been planning my 2024 garden for months, and double-checked a list of vegetables in the brassica family. Due to a thyroid condition I have to avoid brassicas, so they shouldn’t be taking up space in my raised beds.

Plans quashed! The brassica list is longer than I realized and includes the well-known broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussel sprouts. Never having grown those successfully, I wasn’t disappointed. However, greens I love such as arugula, Swiss chard, and bok choy are also brassicas.

https://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm

Fortunately, I love squash so I searched the Burpee seed catalog last month for several varieties to plant in the new 4x8 raised bed that I have. This year I’ll be trying baby butternut (my favorite squash), a new squash that resembles the look and taste of mashed potatoes, acorn squash, sugar pie pumpkins*, and winter delicata.

I don’t have a lot of horizontal garden space, so the squash will grow on trellises (photo at top of page) which worked out well last year. Beans are a great companion plant for squash, and this year dragon’s tongue and scarlet runner beans will join the squash. The latter can also be trellised. Last year we had more beans than I could enjoy fresh, so the rest went into the freezer.


*I use a lot of canned pumpkin as a replacement for oil or applesauce in recipes such as these bran muffins. Be sure to toss in a teaspoon or two of pumpkin spice and some cranberries for a fall treat!

https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/moist-molasses-bran-muffins/

I am often low on eggs, so I replace the two beaten eggs in the recipe with a mixture of a tablespoon each of chia seeds and ground flax as a binder. It is so good that I make the muffins with the egg substitute every time. Extra fiber and Omega-3 too!

Pumpkin seeds are a great substitute for nuts and I look forward to roasting my own pumpkin seeds this year. The original garden plan may have been quashed, but now it's squash!