Waltham Butternut Squash

No garden crop soothes the soul like butternut squash. Its smooth, sweet, and nutty flesh entices as it bakes in the oven. For this hallmark experience of autumn we are indebted to insurance-man-turned-farmer Charles Leggett, who developed the Waltham Butternut variety in Massachusetts during the mid-1940s. Leggett combined the dense, easy-to-peel flesh of old gooseneck types with the flavor and texture of the best eating squashes. The result? Pure comfort food, straight from the garden.

Waltham is also one of the best keepers: if well cured and kept somewhere cool and dry, your butternuts will keep their eating quality well into spring.