Marblehead Hubbard Squash

In my continuing series on New England regional foods,  here is a beauty!  The Hubbard squash

I grew these Hubbard squash on a trellis in my garden this year.  They are larger than your head and very heavy.  I was surprised how well they did growing up on a trellis and didn't need to be slung.

The  Hubbard squash is credited to Marblehead history. According to local legend the seeds were brought home from South America probably Argentina or Chili via the West Indies and ended up with sea Captain Knott Martin in 1798.  One variation of the story states Captain Martin gave the seeds to his gardener sister Sarah Martin.  Sarah  and her sister Martha grew the squash successfully and  gave seeds to Elizabeth Hubbard. Elizabeth gave some to seed seller and agriculturist James Howard Gregory around 1844.
Gregory named the large squash after Elizabeth. 

By 1900, J.H. Gregory produced 400 acres of seed crops and was one of the largest seed growers in America. He is remembered as a great American Seedsman and philanthropist who introduced many kinds of vegetables suited to the New England growing region and had a reputation for maintaining and improving variety quality. He was also the first to develop the "picture" seed packet with instructions. One of the historic buildings of Marblehead, Mass. was the "squash shed" located downtown.

This is the place where the squash was brought from the production fields. I remember reading accounts of Gregory's Squash Shed and went to Elbridge Gerry Elementary School across the street. Villagers would line up at the shed to receive the emptied squash after Gregory and his seed staff cleaned the seeds out. The squash halves were given out to any families who wanted baking squash and it became a squash season tradition that lasted decades.A more detailed history can be found at Long Island Seed   and a great history of J.H. Gregory can be found at Save Seeds.    

Winter squash are great keepers.  I grow Hubbards and Acorn squash to enjoy throughout the winter.  My favorite recipe is to simply open the squash, clean out the seeds and set aside, then sprinkle with either brown sugar or drizzle maple syrup over the squash and bake.  I also like to make squash pie.  I think I will have squash for dinner tonight!

Here are some great Hubbard recipe sites:
The Big Apple Farm recipes
Big Oven
Homestead Farm Recipes
Please leave a comment below if you have a great recipe or site to share!!!