More than likely those blossoms did not get polinated and if they do not get pollinated they will simply shrivel up and die. If this is happening to most of your blossoms you may need to hand pollinate.

Thank you, ruthanna, for that link. I glanced through the recipes, picked out the easiest ones from Oct 29, 2009: Posted by joanm: Carmelized Butternut Squash Ina Garten 2 butternut squash (4 to 5 pounds total) 6 T. unsalted butter, melted 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 1/2 tea salt 1/2 tea black pepper Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the squash, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Add melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss all the ingredients and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes. While roasting, turn the squash a few times with a spatula. ******* Posted by Robinkateb: Winter Squash Whole Wheat Bread 1 cup winter squash puree 1 Tbsp butter at warm room temperature or melted (you could sub oil if you want) 1/2 cup water 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1 cup all purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar (I use what ever sugar I am in the mood for, brown, sugar in the raw, turbinado, maple sugar...) 1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten (optional, especially if you use some white flour) 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 3/4 tsp yeast Place the ingredients in your bread machine in the order listed. Turn it on and let the machine make you bread. ****** Here's a high-protein soup posted by Doucanoe: Hearty Pork Stew with Squash Source: Penzeys 2/09 1-1/2 lb boneless pork loin roast, trimmed and cubed (I used boneless chops) 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices 1 medium onion, chopped 2 c peeld parsnips, cubed 1-1/2 c butternut squash, peeled & cubed 4 c chicken broth 1 T fresh sage or 1 tsp dried 2 tsp fresh thyme or 3/4 tsp dried 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 3 T flour 3 T butter, softened In 4-5 quart slow cooker, mix the pork and remaining ingredients except flour and butter. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours. OR... place in a covered pot in the oven at 350F for 2 hours.

LOL! What fun to come in here and find such entertainment :) And an award!! You can be sure the trophy will be proudly displayed along with my eight "West Virginia State Quack Grass Digging Championship" trophies. For those who tuned in late, this is the thread that started all this: zucchini as winter squash? So I see that moschata was not originally specified -- no wonder I began the autumn with a spare bedroom full of cartoon-like over sized squash resting on plastic sheeting in case they explode! I'm always looking for ways to extend the garden produce through the winter, so this has been fun and motivating, if not quite yet successful. My personal opinion about Trombocino: insipid as summer squash, deliciously sweet as winter squash. Could it be that it is simply a winter squash that's a summer squash wannabe? Sponges for dinner! (my dog likes them too)

I got SVB on my honeynut vines so I picked them all, still green with no hint of orange - some of them looked to be mature/full size getting ready to ripen and others clearly still small. They were pretty much like summer squash. Not much, if any, of the telltale sweet winter squash flavor and the flesh was more watery. I cooked as I would summer squash. Only difference was the skin was slightly tougher - but certainly no worse than when you find that ginormous zucchini or yellow squash hiding under a leaf that got missed, or the one you didn't pick before leaving for vacation and it quadrupled in size while you were away, and the skin gets a little tougher. Good luck!