Category: Winter Squash

The stew is delicious with butternut, red kuri, hubbard or buttercup squash. I wouldn’t use delicata as it’s not meaty enough.  This stew is rich, nutrient dense, sweet, savory, just a little spicy and vegan. Garnish with green onions and crushed roasted and salted peanuts for an extra kick.   You can also add carrots or substitute carrots for some of the squash.... Read more »

This is a quick, not terribly authentic red curry but very tasty and suitable to a variety of vegetables--use what you have. You can add chicken or tofu to it for an even heartier dish though it’s wonderfully rich and satisfying without as well.   Depending on what kind of squash you have, you may want to roast it first for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees (if it's an acorn type or another one that is difficult to peel raw) then cut it into bite-sized pieces and peel.    Serves 4, generously... Read more »

--adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi   You'll be amazed how much of this you can eat. It's just such a winning combination, even in its simplified form. You can certainly add other vegetables to the mix and you can use any kind of onion--just use lots.   Most any winter squash or pumpkin will work for this recipe. If you’re loathe to peel and trim the squash raw you can bake the whole squash, seeds and all for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees and then remove it, let cool a little and then peel and cut—a bit easier to handle this way.... Read more »

This is a fairly quick and satisfying meal that uses up most any vegetable you have on hand. Once you make it a few times you won't need to look at a recipe and will have fun with whatever version you conjure. If you're using summer squash or other quick cooking vegetables, add them to the curry a bit later since they will take less time to cook and you want them to keep their shape just a bit.... Read more »

The sweet roasted squash, the sturdy kale, the avocado that turns the dressing creamy and the pop of the lime juice and pumpkin seeds is a lively combination.   For the above version I used blanched collard raab, instead of raw kale--a lovely alternative. If you have delicata squash by all means use it as you won't have to peel it. This salad, like many, is begging for adaptations so be creative--use different seeds or nuts, add herbs, different roasted vegetables, etc.  ... Read more »

I threw this dish together one night and it turned out to be a winner. You could fry or poach an egg to serve on top of this and call it dinner.   For this dish to work you need a large skillet and you need to cut the squash into really small pieces. I suggest 1-inch long little batons or some such. You want the vegetables to have enough room so they sauté/brown rather than steaming.... Read more »

This is really just a suggestion of ingredients to combine and a loose technique. You can add sweet peppers, hot peppers, spices, other herbs and/or add cheeses or toasted nuts and even omit the avocado, as in the version above. It's simple to quickly toss together ingredients like this and have a vibrant dish for any time of day.   If you don't have time to roast squash in the oven and have one that's easy enough to peel or doesn't need peeling, like delicata, then you can just sauté the squash in a large, skillet in about 10 minutes.   Quantity is completely up to you, as are the ratios. Just taste and adjust with citrus and other seasonings.... Read more »

This is a very quick and simple dish. It's a lighter version of this dish, that includes a bit of cream.  This one-pot dish is begging for adaptations and substitutions so use spinach or mustard greens instead of the escarole, or even radicchio. Add bacon or sausage or leftover chicken. The sweet squash is nicely balanced by greens with robust flavor like mustard greens or anything in the chicory family. Cooking times and amount of liquid needed will vary a bit based on the type of pasta you use so watch as you go and adjust as needed. This is not a dish where the pasta needs to be perfectly al dente, which I think is just fine. ... Read more »

  This is a CSA Heavy Hitter, recipe that is delicious with a great variety of vegetables and handy to turn to when you have a random assortment of things that need using up. This is delicious with kohlrabi, celery root, winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, turnips and pretty much any other vegetable that takes well to roasting. The quantity and combination of vegetables is completely up to you and you can easily scale the below recipe up or down. I sometimes like to add chickpeas to the vegetables, adding another dimension and texture. With a simple green salad and maybe a fried egg this is my idea of a perfect meal.... Read more »

One of my favorite farmers says that eating a winter squash is like eating a season's worth of sun stored up in one neat sweet bundle.  There are many different kinds of winter squash, too many to list though you might encounter delicata, acorn, butternut, red kuri, kabocha, black futsu, spaghetti squash and pie pumpkins.   Winter squash is versatile; delicious baked, sautéed, fried, grilled, mashed, and even, raw. I often choose how to use it based on the squash's size and whether I have to peel it or not and how much time I have. Delicata, Jester, Black Futsu, and kabocha-type and, if you're roasting it,  butternut squash do not need to be peeled as their skin is tender enough to be eaten, not to mention nutritious. With delicata and jester squash you can just cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and strings and then cut half-moon slices and bake or pan fry them until tender. Kabocha is best baked and then used in soups or curries or hearty winter salads. If I have a very large squash I tend to bake it and then freeze much of the baked wedges or mashed squash for future use. However, a partial winter squash keeps just fine in the fridge for a couple of weeks if you have the space. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjtSb6VSuCY&feature=youtu.be[/embed] [caption id="attachment_12961" align="alignright" width="300"] Black futsu is a fragrant squash that is delicious raw in salads or roasted. When roasted the skin is tender and edible.[/caption]     Winter squash stores well around 60 degrees and some varieties, especially larger ones like marina di chioggia, keep for many months. If you see a soft spot developing cut it out and use the rest sooner rather than later.   Butternut squash is fairly easy to peel and of late I've been skipping the peeling step if I'm roasting it, and has lots of flesh with only a small seed cavity. It is thus easier to cut into slabs and then dice than many, more irregularly shaped ones. It cooks/bakes quickly and is smooth textured and typically quite sweet. It makes the best "pumpkin" pie. Pie pumpkins can be a bit stringy so if you're making pie its best to strain the cooked or baked flesh or whiz it well in the food processor. Pie pumpkins are delicious stuffed and baked whole for an impressive main course.  ... Read more »