It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

These pumpkins may not be great, but they're the only ones I've got. I planted two pumpkin vines this year; both are French varieties. The first is called Rouge Vif d'Etampes (vibrant red from Etampes) and the second is a courge musquée (musk squash).

The vibrant red color should develop as this pumpkin ripens over the next weeks.

So far, there is only one fruit on the Rouge Vif, although I did notice a second, smaller pumpkin on the vine yesterday. I'll see if it survives. The musk squash also has just one large fruit; a smaller one died on the vine a few weeks ago.

A musk squash. It's supposed to turn a beige color (like a butternut) as it matures.

One each is plenty for us since they're big. I also planted three sucrines (a type of squash similar to butternut) and they are producing a lot. Too much, actually. I still have processed winter squash purée in the freezer from a year, two, or three ago.

A squash blossom and a tiny green pumpkin under the leaves. I wonder if it will survive?

Fall, and pumpkin season, is just around the corner. If the weather stays relatively dry, we should be able to enjoy pumpkin soups, pumpkin breads, and pumpkin pies for a long while.