Category: Winter Squash

Everyone seems to have a version of this dish. I threw this one together on the fly because as per usual in the winter months I had a delicata squash in the fruit bowl and a bunch of kale in the fridge. You can also use any roasted winter squash you'd like. And use whatever toasted nuts or seeds you have on hand. I've had Tamari almonds around of late and they are a quick, easy contribution to many salads.  ... Read more »

Perfectly tender, sweet winter squash stuffed with a savory filling is a lovely meal in one. Acorn squash works beautifully as does Sweet Dumpling or Jester or any small-ish squash with a nice cavity but enough flesh to make a sturdy shell. Adapt the filling to suite your taste and what you have on hand as well. Use any kind of cooked grain (or no grain and more beans), different spices, cheeses (no cheese, see above right) and herbs. ... Read more »

A friend introduced me to Chimayo Chile powder from New Mexico and it's a product worth seeking out and keeping in your spice drawer. These chilis have a fascinating history, were almost extinct, and now are thriving again in the village of Chimayo at about 7000 feet, in New Mexico where they have been cultivated for nearly 400 years. And they have unbelievable flavor and complexity and are not terribly hot. ... Read more »

  This is simple, so satisfying and as with many soups, improves on day two and three and freezes well. Make a big pot and enjoy. The beans are entirely optional. I often have cooked beans on hand and they add flavor and texture but the soup is fantastic without as well.  ... Read more »

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  I like to roast a big winter squash on the weekend and then have the squash ready to turn into salads, soups, etc. all week long. I used an Oregon Sweet Meat here but a butternut or hubbard type would work well.... Read more »

  This is similar to one of my favorite standby curries, one with red lentils and usually a butternut or sweat meat kind of squash. This one, with delicata, comes together quickly if you have already cooked (or canned) chickpeas. The lemongrass in the dish was inspired by the inimitable Nigel Slater. This makes a lot and keeps/reheats well. By all means halve the recipe if you’d like. And use a different kind of winter squash if you don't have delicata.  ... Read more »

While acorn squash can be hard to cut raw, getting it into wedges or some kind of chunks is doable and makes for a wonderful dish, when roasted and tossed with an herby dressing. This preparation would be delicious with most any kind of winter squash so substitute as you see fit. The acorn squash used in the photos was a variety with light skin, but most acorn squash has a darker green skin.  ... Read more »

I had squash to use up and just planned on roasting the squash with onion wedges and sage and rosemary. Dinner, however, called for a real salad with some zing and freshness (company was coming!). So I added the puny escarole in my garden (early February) and some radicchio from a friend's farm. A nice vinegary dressing pulled it together and a lovely, lovely combination was born. ... Read more »

This is a good template for whatever bits of meat you'd like to use/use up and leafy greens or herbs. The above version employs sausage and parsley. Another delicious combination is mustard greens and bacon... you get the idea.  ... Read more »

You can use any squash you have and make plenty while you're at it. Both the roasted squash and salsa verde keep well for a few days and it makes a great snack.   This dish was on the menu of the first cooking class I taught in 2008 and it never fails to hit the spot. Warm, sweet, roasted squash with a cool, lemony parsley sauce is a great combination. ... Read more »

Here's a simple and foolproof dish for this fun squash. Pulling the cooked flesh out of its skin and seeing it turn into a pile of spaghetti is a bit of a wonder and that texture has its merits. My son who really dislikes other winter squash tolerates this dish!   You can use whatever herb or combination of herbs you have. I like dill and parsley or chives and dill/parsley but a little sage and/or rosemary is good as is thyme and oregano. ... Read more »

  This dish is just slightly adapted from a dish that Jim Dixon posted on Real Good Food. It's a winning twist on the classic Sicilian dish which uses eggplant.   This is quite quick to make (even quicker if you have already roasted/cooked squash) and of course even better the next day so make plenty. Enjoy at room temperature with good crusty bread. ... Read more »

This is a delicious combination and a useful template but I do particularly like these two vegetables baked together with a little cream and/or milk that's been warmed with garlic, mustard, thyme, and pepper. That being said, rutabaga, turnips and potatoes would all make excellent substitutions or additions. And it would make a robust Thanksgiving side dish.   I suggest making a good amount of this since leftovers are wonderful. And if you don't have thyme or sage you can use a little rosemary or dried oregano or even fresh parsley.  ... Read more »

This dish is inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s book Plenty More though it’s different enough to be barely recognizable. The original recipe includes 5 ounces of udon noodles so by all means add those if you’d like. I think it's fantastic with just vegetables. And feel free to play with the vegetables you include and the type of squash. It is important to slice the raw vegetables very thinly and that they are good and crunchy by nature.... Read more »

--inspired by Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi   You can make this with most any winter squash variety. Butternut and delicata squash are particularly good and convenient as you don’t need to peel either of them. This recipe makes quite a bit and it keeps well so leftovers might be welcome but feel free to scale back the recipe.  ... Read more »

This is a beautiful, fairly quick and highly adaptable dish. Unlike this Stuffed Pumpkin recipe, you steam the small squash on the stove top which speeds things up considerably. If your squash are smaller or larger than the ones pictured scale the filling accordingly.  ... Read more »

  Making your own pumpkin puree is delicious but canned pumpkin will do just fine too. If you want to make your own you can use butternut squash or other squashes. I think butternut squash makes the silkiest "pumpkin" pie in fact. Pumpkin flesh can be a bit stringy so if you don’t have a food processor (in which to make the filling) and are using pumpkin you might want to mash the cooked pumpkin through a sieve for a nice smooth texture.   This is fairly classic pumpkin pie recipe, with the exception of the sour cream and optional rum.   I swear by the below crust (nothing but butter, flour and water but a slightly atypical technique). Give it a try or use your favorite recipe/technique.   Unlike many others I do not blind bake my crust for pumpkin pie. Instead I bake it on a pizza stone in a very hot oven (for the first 15 minutes) and then reduce the temperature. This way my crust doesn't burn and get brittle (which I find if I blind bake and then add the custard which needs a good 45 minutes to bake itself) and the bottom crust does just fine. You always get a little sogginess with a wet custard like this but I think it's just perfect.... Read more »

Once the squash is roasted this soup comes together in 15 minutes and it’s so flavorful. You can scale this up or down, use more or less coconut milk; you can use a variety of squash types or throw in other root vegetables as well. Switch up the garnish to toasted pumpkin seeds or use other herbs or spices in the yogurt mix. Have fun!  ... Read more »

--loosely adapted from Bon Appetit   This is my idea of a perfect winter dish. The version above uses Gill's Golden Pippin (a very small and flavorful acorn variety) and delicata. ... Read more »