If shorter days and brisker temperatures aren't enough of a clue that autumn has arrived, then a decrease in the usual variety of succulent fruits available at the Thursday night Farmers Market probably is. I'm talking juicy watermelon, blood-red plums, tangy nectarines and sweet peaches, all utterly unavailable until next summer. While this fact alone makes me want to hit the fast forward button on my seasonal remote control, I'm determined to be a "glass half-full" kind of girl. So although Father Fall has seemingly robbed us of beach days, steamy summer evenings that lingered on forever, fruit camouflaged as dessert, and an excuse to buy new sundresses, he seems to be consoling us with delicious root vegetables, leafy greens, citrus fruits, and winter squash.

There are many winter squash varieties and although I can't say I've tried them all, I'm certain they all have their own unique characteristics. I've heard of using the fibrous innards of a spaghetti squash as a healthy alternative to actual spaghetti noodles. I've also roasted an acorn squash, smothered it with butter and cinnamon, and called it a meal – I highly recommend you do the same. However, it was not until visiting the McGrath Family Farms booth at the Thursday night market that I'd even heard of Tahitian squash.

McGrath Family Farms is located in Oxnard and has been farming organic fruits and vegetables for nearly five generations. In addition to their weekly post at the South Pasadena Farmers Market, this family-run business operates a daily farmers market on-site, a delivery service to restaurants all around southern California, as well as a Community Supported Agriculture program. All of this, in addition to having some of the most unique produce at the market makes them a popular stop for Thursday night produce shoppers.

Now back to the squash. Abnormally large and a bit intimidating, Tahitian squash resembles an oversized butternut squash and can weigh anywhere between eight and thirty pounds and grow to be nearly three feet in length. One might call this the "Mother Squash." The young vendor working the McGrath Family Farms booth sensed my curiosity about the behemoth vegetable I kept eyeing and offered up a taste. "What do you think it tastes like?" he asked with a grin that made me think he'd played this game before. In its raw form, the flavor of Tahitian squash vaguely resembled a cross between a watermelon and a pumpkin. Father Fall was making a compromise.

Luckily, McGrath Family Farms sells pre-cut squash pieces so you needn't worry about renting a U-Haul truck to bring a Tahitian squash home. After discussing the different ways to prepare Tahitian squash with the vendor and a friendly fellow shopper, I decided to purchase a hunk of it and make a quick bread. Enjoy this bread warm, with a bit of butter and a cup of coffee or tea and say hello to fall.

Tahitian Squash Bread
Adapted from MyBakingAddiction.com

For the Squash Purée:

Ingredients:
1 lb. cut piece of Tahitian squash from McGrath Family Farms 
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. Kosher salt

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place squash face-up on a foil-lined baking sheet.
• Sprinkle butter cubes and brown sugar onto squash.
• Roast for 45-60 minutes, or until you can easily poke a toothpick into the flesh of the squash.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
• Scoop out the flesh and place into a food processor.
• Add the cinnamon, nutmeg & salt, and pulse until smooth and creamy; this should yield more than 1 cup of purée.
• Set aside.

For the Quick Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup Tahitian Squash Purée
2 eggs
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup water
1 cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cardamom

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a 8.5 x 4.5 x 25 inch loaf pan.
• In a large bowl, mix together the Tahitian squash purée, eggs, oil, water and sugars until combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.
• Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the squash mixture using an automatic mixer set on low, if desired; stir until just combined, taking heed not to over mix.
• Pour into loaf pan.
• Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.