Hey Ted, sounds like we have the same disease/compulsion... I do the same thing. That's so good to hear that the taste is good. I keep putting the vines on a path that doesn't takeover and the next day, they're back on the original mission! Next year I am going to try growing kabocha. I cooked some store-bought and cooked as per a Japanese recipe - you eat the skin - it was amazingly good! Simmer cut up cubes (with skin) in water with a bit of added soy sauce and a little mirin (a sweet wine - a bit of sugar would do too) until just tender. Turn off heat, allow to soak for 20 minutes. Eat them skin and all!

My kids have definitely been exposed to a lot of different foods - and DD has seen more different types growing than DS did when he was younger (we moved in 2007, didn't have a garden that year but had had a small one before that, of course my dad always had a larger garden so DS ate things like corn and squash out of his). Our garden at this house has grown since 2008 into an organic "farm" (or at least a market garden). Some people are just very sensitive to textures, temperature, and other to sweet/bitter tastes. We went to a science museum a few years ago and found that DH couldn't taste much at all (I think due to his constant allergies), DS was "normal" and DD and I were "supertasters" which is weird to me since I thought supertasters didn't like cilantro and I love it, same with dark coffee (but that's an acquired taste and I do use sweetener) and red wine (but I am not much of a drinker). But since we taste the bitter in things, that accounts for not liking vegetables much (though I tend to eat more vegetables than fruits and prefer sweeter vegetables like beets, can only stand sauteed onions not raw or ones just cooked on the pizza). Also apparently accounts for DD not liking fatty foods (and her sensory issues with texture could also come into play there - she calls all fat "gristle" - though she's the only one in the house who likes mayo!). We were watching TV last night and saw a commercial for frozen mac and cheese, DH commented that DD would never eat it (I used to buy organic for her, tried homemade, even tried the orange stuff, no way). She said she would, so I will buy some today and try it - any way to get protein into her since we're lucky if she eats 2 oz (last night I made kielbasa and scrambled eggs for dinner so I think she ate more than usual, maybe 2 oz of meat and 1 egg, she started eating eggs when we started getting them fresh from my cousin).

I've enjoyed this thread. Some of our 2013 hits and misses from first time items were: Hits Mizuna: Comes up quickly from seed, produces abundantly and is a cut and come again veggie. Tokyo Bekana Grew very well here from seed in the spring and fall. We love it raw in salads as an alternative to lettuce. Fingerling potatoes: we grew five varieties and all did well and were DELICIOUS. Did very well at the farmers' market. Zephyr summer squash. These are very delicious and showed good disease resistance and yield. Safari zuchinni. It wasn't a good year for zukes for us, but these kept coming even after the others bit the dust. Red Russian kale. Produced very well. Tasty and tender. Moon and Stars Yellow Fleshed watermelons. We really enjoyed these. Not as sweet as Crimson Sweet, of course, but crispy and delicious. Fails Lemon cucumbers. Produced poorly. They taste fine but not worth the space they take up. Won't plant again. Burgundy okra. The problem with this is that the wildlife couldn't resist it. Deer and groundhogs destroyed it, while hardly bothering the Clemson Spineless. If you can keep the critters away, this would be a good choice. But we won't bother with it again. Creasy Greens (upland cress). This didn't come up at all. Surprising since it grows wild here. We won't bother trying again. Here is a link that might be useful: White Flint Farm

Last year I grew trombetta squash and I think they may be the same. I don't remember what company provided the seeds, but my seed store has ordered them again. I will look today to see if they have come in and let you know. I loved them...cooked or raw when young, similar to yellow squash or zucchini, or mature as a winter squash.