Squash Sweet dumpling organic seeds - Cucurbita pepo

The organic Sweet Dumpling Squash, or Patidou, is a small, very decorative winter squash that is remarkably flavoursome. Its fruits, the size of a large apple and broadly striated with green, have orange flesh that is dense and sweet, with a hazelnut and chestnut aroma, suitable for both savoury recipes and sweet preparations. This spreading variety has a reasonable development and easily finds its place in a family vegetable garden. Its small squashes keep well after harvest.

Botanically, Sweet Dumpling belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes squashes, courgettes and pumpkins. The species Cucurbita pepo is one of the oldest domesticated squashes, originating from southern Mexico and Central America, now widely cultivated in the northern hemisphere. It is called squash, pumpkin, courgette, or even turban squash depending on the fruit type.
The Patidou was selected in the 1970s in Japan by Sakata Seed Corporation from miniaturised large American squashes, first marketed under the name "Vegetable Gourd" before taking its current name. The plant is a vigorous, fast-growing annual. The stems, angular and rough, bear large triangular leaves with 3–5 deeply cut lobes, with a bright green lamina covered in fairly stiff hairs. Each plant occupies 1.50 to 2 m in width, and the stems can exceed 2 m in length. The flowering, consisting of large yellow trumpet-shaped flowers, spreads from June to September. The male and female flowers are separate on the same plant and are edible. The fruits are small, rounded, deeply ribbed squashes, 8 to 12 cm in diameter, weighing 300 to 800 g, with a cream or ivory skin striated with dark green, which may tinge slightly orange at ripeness. The epidermis, quite hard, remains relatively thin and can be eaten after cooking. The flesh, yellow-orange, is thick, firm, non-fibrous, with a sweet and very aromatic flavour, often described as one of the finest among winter squashes. Each plant produces about ten fruits.

Harvest and storage: the harvest spreads from late summer to autumn, when the peduncle becomes lignified and begins to dry; well-ripened, the fruits keep for 3 to 6 months in a dry, ventilated, and cool place.

In the kitchen: the Patidou is a very practical small "portion" squash: cut it in half, remove the seeds, then roast it in the oven, simply with a drizzle of oil, herbs, and a little garlic, or stuff it (grains, fresh cheese, vegetables, sausage meat...). Its flesh makes excellent velouté soups, purées, and gratins, and pairs very well with mild spices, aged cheeses, or smoked bacon lardons. It can also be used in sweet versions, in tarts, moist cakes, or flans, much like a pumpkin. The seeds can be saved and roasted in the oven, lightly salted, for an original appetiser.

The gardener's little tip: place a slate tile or a roof tile under the fruit. It will no longer be in direct contact with the soil, thus preventing it from rotting due to moisture. Squashes appreciate slightly moist soils. Remember to mulch around the plants, especially during the height of summer. These plants are very prone to powdery mildew: avoid watering the leaves or flowers. Associate your squashes with chives, onions, or shallots or with fabaceae like beans or peas. However, the combination of squash and cucumber is likely to be detrimental to both parties.

The organic or "AB" seeds come from plants grown in organic farming (without the use of plant protection products). They undergo no treatment after harvest. These seeds are suitable for organic market gardening.