Eight kinds. Boy, the neighbors will have their hands full keeping up with you!

There are so many varieties and sub-varieties of different vegetables that it is often not practical to track down recipes (much less good recipes) that call for a niche type. We haven’t spent sleepless nights poring over old cookbooks, but in the modest research we have done, we haven’t come across any recipes specifying amber cup squash, either.

But the amber cup is a winter squash of the kabocha variety. It has bright orange skin streaked with tan. It should grow to be about 8 inches wide and 5 inches long. You want to leave it on the vine until it is fully mature, being sure to harvest it before the first frost, and leaving part of the stem attached to the fruit. You can store it for winter use, if you like, in a dry place at a temperature between 45° and 55°F (7° to 13°C).

The thick orange flesh cooks dry and sweet. It is similar in texture and flavor to the acorn squash, and can be prepared and cooked in the same way. And we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you can easily find acorn squash recipes.