A Patisson or a Patty Pan

I have always loved produce stalls in markets and have blogged on them in my New Zealand Blog. There will be a 'proper' market blog after the Civray market next Tuesday (please don't let it rain - whoever it is that has a say in these things) but when I was in Charroux a few days ago the market was in full swing (all six stalls - it is a small place). The small vegetable stall which was for some reason tucked away in the open Market Hall was not noticable if it hadn't had a vegetable none of us had seen before: a Patisson.

The result was that I wrote a blog entry about a Patisson. None of us here had any idea what a Patisson is. So I went onto a French website and managed to mis-read it and thought that a Patisson was a Jerusalem Artichoke. Niece, Helen commented:

"I'm afraid that this isn't a jerusalem artichoke, that being a tuberous root and not a squash.

In England we often call the pattison a 'patty pan'. I first heard of them due to Beatrix Potter and her book 'the pie and the patty pan'. Ian bought us some from a local seller a couple of years ago and we stuffed and ate them. Yummy.pointed out that she was afraid that it wasn't a jerusalem artichoke, that being a tuberous root and not a squash and that in England we often call the pattison a 'patty pan'. She first heard of them due to Beatrix Potter and her book 'the pie and the patty pan'. Ian bought tus some from a local seller a couple of years ago and we stuffed and ate them. Yummy."

In future I will read my French websites more carefully. In the meantime, thanks Helen.