Squash Catsup?

To help the audience visualize the importance of new plant introductions, I often ask them to imagine what Italian cooking must have been like before the tomato was introduced. Where would fast foods be without catsup? This recipe from “The Garden to Kitchen Newsletter” (Newsletter reviewed in EDN 32-1) stretches my imagination a bit. But many of you work where it is difficult to grow tomatoes. If it works, and you could get used to orange catsup, it might be worth a try. “Squash catsup can be made using squash [or tropical pumpkin] puree cooked with varying amounts of vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and other spices. Corn flour is used as a binder and thickener.” Presumably winter squash or tropical pumpkin would be interchangeable.

Another interesting squash/pumpkin recipe is suggested. “Mix 7 parts of squash puree and 3 parts corn flour then form into chips and dry. Later they are deep fried in oil….”