Gourdzilla

By Christine Tailer
HCP columnist

A friend stopped by the other day. We chatted, and then she mentioned that Gourdzilla was looking quite healthy. I paused. At first, I was not quite sure what she meant, and then I knew. She was referring to a vine that was growing out of our huge compost pile down by the garden.

I have never named the pile, though I believe that it is more than just a simple mound of dirt. I carefully feed it horse droppings, chicken and pigeon coop cleanouts, spent vegetables from the garden, rotted hay and straw, and assorted other things that only a compost pile would find delectable.

The pile stands eight feet tall and spans well over 15 feet at its base. Every fall, we turn it with our backhoe, pulling the dirt from the backside, up over the top of the pile so it falls down the front. In this manner, the mound slowly marches across the little field where it lives, and yes, I do consider it a living entity. When I dig into its backside to gather a wheelbarrow filled with its luscious black soil, I encounter hundreds of big fat worms. Every single shovel full is teaming with squirmy, wiggly life.

In the spring, the pile always gives me special delight when I find it hosting a variety of vegetable volunteers. I never know what to expect, but in past years I have happily harvested tomatoes, peppers and squash from its fertile soil. This year has been no different or so I thought.

Early on, I had noticed a few small squash vines sending tendrils down the sides of the pile. I watched over the weeks as the vines grew longer and the leaves grew bigger, soon becoming the biggest and greenest squash leaves I have ever seen. Some of the leaves are as broad as my shoulders, and then I watched as the vines set flowers, beautiful, huge, deep yellow flowers.

The vines continued to grow out into the little field where the pile sits. They grew to be 15, some even 20, feet long. I was amazed. I could hardly wait for the flowers to begin to fruit. Finally, they did. Every single one has become a beautiful butternut squash.

Oh, how I love baked butternut squash on a cold fall day. I slice it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and lie it cut side down in a pan of water. I then bake it at 375° until the skin is fork tender, usually about 45 minutes. After I take it from the over, I place a liberal pat of real butter in its concave bowl, and then I sprinkle brown sugar all across the cut face. I savor every bite. It is assuredly the perfect side dish to baked salmon, both in taste and color. The bright orange on my plate and the taste on my tongue can cheer even the greyest of cold days.

I walked along the vines, surprised to find that no other volunteer vegetables were growing from the pile, but I was still so thankful to look forward to baked butternut squash on some future chilly evening. I also had to smile. This spring, I had planted two varieties of summer squash, but only acorn squash as my winter squash. Some things are simply meant to be.

Now, as to Gourdzilla's name, it is true that gourds and squash are both fruits in the Cucurbitaceae family, though they are typically grown and used for different purposes. Squash are eaten, while gourds are made into utensils or decorations. To my thinking, however, Squashzilla does not have quite the same ring to it as Gourdzilla, and so Gourdzilla shall remain the name of the most amazing squash vine I have ever had the pleasure to encounter.

Christine Tailer is an attorney and former city dweller who moved several years ago, with her husband, Greg, to an off-grid farm in Ohio south-central Ohio. Visit them on the web at straightcreekvalleyfarm.com. 

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