STORY BEHIND THE ART OF SENGMANY PHOMMACHAKR

Abundant Future: Cultivating Diversity in Garden, Farm, and Field

Long Pie Pumpkin

Curcubita pepo 'Long Pie'

The Long Pie Pumpkin arrived in Nantucket on a whaling ship from Saō Jorge Island in the Azores in the early 1830s. Over the next century, Long Pie (also known as Nantucket Pie or St. George) moved up along the New England coast where it became popular, especially in the Androscoggin County of Maine.

Its dense, smooth flesh and rich, sweet flavor rewarded the home baker with the best pumpkin pie. But by the 1980s, Long Pie had faded into obscurity and almost disappeared because of the ubiquitous Halloween varieties, cultivated for their appearance and not their flavor. Fortunately, with the help of dedicated farmers, plant breeders and local-food movements, this winter squash has slowly been making its way back into our gardens and onto our tables.

Radishes

Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus 'Watermelon', 'French Breakfast', 'Black Spanish Round'

When I was a child living in Montreal, I knew of only two types of radishes. There was the ordinary, red, round radish sold at the supermarket. And there was the long, cylindrical, white daikon sold in Chinatown. But we’ve come a long way since the 1980s and now, thanks to farmers markets, small-scale growers have the opportunity to showcase heirloom varieties, selected for their taste rather than their shelf-life or transportability.

Beautiful arrangements of colorful radishes always catch my eye in the summer. The red, velvety skin of the slender ‘French Breakfast’ tapers off into its white root. A Chinese heirloom, the ‘Watermelon’s’ almost translucent, pale skin hides a vibrant fuchsia interior. And ‘Black Spanish Round’ has a pleasing rough skin that protects its creamy white flesh. These aren’t ordinary. These have become my new classics.

Next Story

Back to List

Read more about this artist’s work: 23rd Annual