I've got to check this forum more often... Sorry to be a stickler for detail... but in their 2007 catalog, SSE lists "Amish Pie" as C. maxima (not C. pepo). The photo verifies that the variety has the thick, fleshy stem of C. maxima, as opposed to the thinner, woody stem of C. pepo. That it is sometimes mis-identified is not entirely surprising... "Zucchetta Rampicante Tromboncino" (a.k.a. any combination of those names) is C. moschata, but was sometimes mis-identified in the trade as C. pepo. Personally, I have always preferred the maximas for both fresh eating & processing. For the most part, they are drier & finer-grained, with less stringiness. "Buttercup", "Queensland Blue", "Hubbard", and some of the Asian kabocha squashes are my favorites. They also seem to be (slightly) less attractive to cucumber beetles, and because they often root at the nodes, usually survive SVB attack once established (burying the vines early is helpful).

Well, I don't know anything about buff pie, however, I did find out that I had gotten a spaghetti squash in my squash seed mix. It isn't pale yellow either. It starts out looking like a pregnant zucchini and turns white. I have the Garden Seed Inventory book from back in 1999 and it doesn't list "Buff Pie". However, here is the listing for Vegetable Spaghetti. 'ready to harvest when skin turns from cream to buff, keeps for 6 months.' Those that carried it in 1999, Abbott & Cobb, Inc; Abundant Life Seed Foundation; Alberta Nurseries & Seeds, Ltd.; Johnny's Selected Seed there are about 50 suppliers of this seed. Steph

I really prefer kabocha squash. I like to use the orange ones but I don't think the outside color really makes much of a difference really. The flesh is sweet, dry and smooth. But I've read they need to be matured off the vine. Basically wait a month or two before using them so they can become more sweet. I don't know about that from experience though, I've not had a kabocha that wasn't sweet and smooth. The flesh is also a nice orange color for pies. It shouldn't matter what color the pie is, just that it tastes good but sometimes a nice color just makes the pie end up looking more traditional. To open a kabocha is not easy though. I've found the best way (and the way recommended to me by "Gene the Pumpkin Man", the first person who recommended these to me for pies) is to drop the squash onto the cement outside. Or in some cases you might have to throw it on the ground hard to break it open. I don't do this indoors because I worry for my floor. These babies are tough but oh so tasty. ~Cindy

Four hours at 350 degrees is a lot more than you would need to cook a pumpkin. If memory serves, I think one hour is plenty! :) Can you fit several into the oven at the same time? Do you have a freezer where you could store the pulp? Or could you can it? I take it you now have ten left. Preparing all of them is the only way I know of that will allow you to know which are going to give you pumpkin pulp and which are going to give you spaghetti, but you're going to end up with lots of pulp, especially if they are very big. Do they all look alike on the outside? There are many good uses for spaghetti squash, and it does retain its texture. Yes, I would write and at least let Mr. Hume know what happened. --Ilene