Alice Ryan, age 10, of Mt. Washington, Kentucky, for her question:

What is vegetable spaghetti?

Each year Andy orders a seed package of something new or different for his vegetable garden. This year it was vegetable spaghetti    and what a wondrous surprise it was. The seeds look like squash or melon seeds, and Andy planted his where the long railing plants could either roam over the ground or climb a fence. They did both. And soon the golden flowers turned to what looked like baby cantaloupes. Later they grew more pear shaped.

When the shiny golden vegetable is ripe, you boil it in water for about 20 minutes. Then crack open the shell    and you'll get a surprise. The inside is filled with what looks like a tangle of fine, golden spaghetti. Actually it is the tender inside of this amazing squash type vegetable. Its warm, sweet fragrance fills the air, and the super delicious taste is a blend of all the best flavors in the entire squash melon cantaloupe family. If you have even a small garden, be sure to try this one next year.