In the local markets of southern Germany, pumpkins and their squashy cousins come in myriad shapes and sizes. Each autumn, a family-run farm in the state of Baden gets seriously inventive in its display of pumpkins, squash and gourds.
Bohrerhof, just outside Feldkirch, is worth a visit for its kitsch value alone…its slowly rotating squash globe appeals to a quirky traveller like me.
The place abounds in “pumpkin topiary”, from a camel of baby pumpkins…
… to a polar bear and igloo of white pattypan squash.
King Kong, forbiddingly constructed of dark green squash stands guard over a farmyard display of pumpkins laid out in rows.
The gourd in the foreground of this close-up of the globe is Hawaii, California on the horizon.
The Bohrerhof shop, open until the first frost, sells all manner of fresh produce, home-baked breads and a host of autumn goodies, in addition to pumpkins. I’ve not eaten in the seasonal restaurant tent, but the family proudly offers its recipes on their website (in German). Come spring, they’ll be selling asparagus and offering asparagus menus in the tent.
In the end, much as I enjoyed the spectacle in Baden, I’m looking for new ways turn these jewels of autumn into memorable seasonal dishes, and turned to Jack of Laughing Lemon for ideas. Pumpkin rösti, anyone?
