Winter squash harvest -- the year of Delicata!

Winter squash are by far the most unpredictable harvest in my kitchen garden. Even though I plant  the same number of Delicata and Butternut squash seedlings each year, in comparable settings and with equally enriched soil, one variety always produces much better than the other. Last year I had only a couple of Delicata fruits, but 8 big Butternuts. 

This fall I harvested 9 Delicata fruits from my one surviving vine-- way more than the average 4 or 5, and just 4 Butternuts from 2 vines. I also tried to grow Acorn and Spaghetti, with little success. Each plant produced just one fruit before succumbing to fungus. 

I'm happy overall, because Delicata squash is a more versatile ingredient. It does not have to be peeled, and it's subtle flavor can be used in many recipes. Butternut is a better keeper, so I'll save it for holiday cooking. 

Here's a picture of the squash harvest, as well as some tomatoes I just brought in to ripen. The tomato plants are still blight-free and we have not had a frost yet, though temps have been as low as 40 degrees.  Our recent spate of rainy days has led to cracks on the tops of some of the fruit, but the rain has been very welcome.