I love saving autumn squash as a treat for this time of year, admiring them on high up out of reach shelves, solid, offering themselves for stews or chutneys.
Last year I began teaching gardening at a primary school and took a pumpkin and marrow for an indoor lesson. The previous week we potted strawberry runners in the cold, this week the ground was frozen hard. The children loved dipping fingers into the orange squidge to gather seeds before rushing them to the tap to wash their seeds. Designing bespoke seed packets while the seeds dried, I hope they will enjoy pumpkins of their own this Halloween.
At home the remaining squash had to be moved while I decorated. I have returned from 3 weeks away to find an intruder has chewed through the pumpkin and eaten ALL the seeds, leaving the marrow untouched, a round courgette has simple given up to the intense cold.
The primary school 8 year olds knew a pumpkin when they saw one, the marrow was a little trickier while the rhubarb, an example of a vegetable to the squash's fruit was thought to be celery and even beetroot.

Today I was asked by a trainee grower what gooseberries tasted like. I asked the others before answering, only one had eaten a goosebery, and then it was a raw one.
How strange to be surrounded by such wonderful food and for it to be so alien to some.
If you grow your own food I always say grow something new every year.
Enjoy choosing your seeds while the weather is wet and keep an eye on your stored veg!
Happy New Year everyone