Season 8, Episode 37. October 9, 2021.
Seed Saver John Coykendall on Cushaw Squash
In this episode my featured guest is Knoxville Native, seed saver, artist and farmer John Coykendall. John will let us know the origins, qualities,, and culinary uses of Cushaw squash. I (Amy Campbell) share a recipe from John's book for baked cushaw, courtesy of Mrs. Cornelia Weldon, mother of Sarah Weldon Hackenburg who took many of the photos for John Coykendall and Christina Melton’s book Preserving Our Roots: My Journey to Save Seed and Stories. Fred Sauceman, Food historian, Writer, and Professor of Appalachian Studies at ETSU shares a segment on the Native American origins of Cushaw squash.
Recipes below, please keep scrolling
Links: Link to find John Coykendall and Christina Melton’s book Preserving Our Roots: My Journey to Save Seed and Stories: https://www.abebooks.com/Preserving-Roots-Journey-Save-Seeds-Stories/31015307272/bd
Contact John Coykendall: If you would like to contact John Coykendall, please write an email to me, and I can provide you with his contact information. I just don’t want to put it on this website for security reasons. Please use this link: https://www.tennesseefarmtable.com/contact-us
Fred Sauceman: https://www.facebook.com/fred.sauceman
Emi Sunshine (Sings our theme song): http://theemisunshine.com/
Cushaw Recipes:
Baked Cushaw:
This recipe with you for baked cushaw, this recipe comes from John Coykendall and Christina Melton’s book and it is courtesy of Mrs. Cornelia Weldon who is the mother of Sarah Weldon Hackenburg who took many of the photos for John Coykendall and Christina Melton’s Book Preserving Our Roots: My Journey to Save Seed and Stories
Here are the tools you will need:
- A vegetable peeler.
- A 3 quart shallow baking dish.
Here are the ingredients that you will need:
- 1 Medium Cushaw
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Peel your cushaw. Cut it into quarters and scoop out the seeds. Cute the flesh into pieces and boil until tender. If you do not want to peel the cushaw, follow John Coykendall’s direction of softening up the flesh for cooking. Cut the cushaw in half. Scoop out the seed. Place each side down on a baking pan in the oven. Fill the pan with as much water as you can. Bake at 200 until the squash collapses. Scoop out the softened flesh. Some people blend it in a blender to make it smooth, or you can mash it with a potato masher to keep it a little chunky.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mash cooked cushaw and mix with remaining ingredients. Place in a 3-quart shallow baking dish and bake one hour. Serve warm.
Recipe for Cushaw Custard shared from Fred Sauceman
Prepare the cushaw: Peel your cushaw. Cut it into quarters and scoop out the seeds. Cute the flesh into pieces and boil until tender.
If you do not want to peel the cushaw, follow John Coykendall’s direction of softening up the flesh for cooking. Cut the cushaw in half. Scoop out the seed. Place each side down on a baking pan in the oven. Fill the pan with as much water as you can. Bake at 200 until the squash collapses. Scoop out the softened flesh. Some people blend it in a blender to make it smooth, or you can mash it with a potato masher to keep it a little chunky.
- 1 cup and a half of cooked cushaw
- 2 eggs
- 2Tb flour
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 c white sugar
- 1 c milk
Mix and place in unbaked pie shell
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean
John Coykendall photographed in the backyard of his home in October of 2021. Credit: Amy Campbell