One thing we started growing a few years back is spaghetti squash. It is prolific! And we do heirlooms so it sprouts up everywhere on its own too. We now have a whole section just for it. It keeps great over winter - we are still eating it now from last summer. Make it with some fresh tomato marinara and Parmesan - it’s a great meal 🙂
Buy a gallon of milk on sale. Make your own Parmesan.
cheesemaking.com
If you like spaghetti squash, shark fin squash might also be good. Shark fins form strands like a spaghetti squash, but they’re solid all the way through like a watermelon, and the shell is thin but super-solid like a coconut. According to some sources, they keep in the shell for up to 7 years, although the ones in my basement are only 2 1/2 years old. And, they don’t cross with any of the more common squash species, so they can be grown close by while still keeping the seeds pure.
The only downside to this squash is that the shell is hard to get through. It does NOT soften with cooking, either! I use a bone saw to cut them open, but I know one person who stands outside and drops the squash onto a concrete surface to crack the shell.