From Our Friends: Pumpkin is Squash, but is Squash Pumpkin?
Pumpkin spice, turnip lanterns, and homegrown squash, they all meet beautifully in Janine Kennedy’s latest Substack, Pumpkin is Squash, but is Squash Pumpkin?
Janine is a dairy farmer, chef, and writer based in rural Tipperary. In this piece, she shares a story that travels from her Cape Breton childhood to her kitchen in Ireland, where her family celebrates a Canadian-style Thanksgiving with turkey, stuffing, and (this year) a very special pumpkin pie.
What makes this one especially lovely for us at Fat Tomato is that it includes a little Wexford connection; Janine grew her own Pink Banana Squash this year from seeds gifted from Anthony last year. These heritage squashes are soft, silky, and naturally sweet - perfect for soups, curries, and, as Janine discovered, the most beautiful homemade “pumpkin” purée.
Here’s a small taste of her piece:
“My good friend Anthony O’Toole is a Co Wexford-based chef, food and tourism consultant and organic grower. His polytunnel is a dream - he grows over 500 unique varieties of fruits and vegetables. Then, he harvests, prepares and sells boutique jellies, cordials, chutneys - you name it, he can do it. He also saves his own seeds. His business is called Fat Tomato and it’s well worth checking out.”
You can read her Substack below. If you’re not already following Janine, her Substack newsletter is a treasure trove of honest food writing, recipes, and reflections on Irish food culture - well worth subscribing to.