Winter squash

[lindag]

This fall I've been obsessing over winter squashes.  Kabocha, spaghetti, butternut, Danish and buttercup.  All so good.  I love the deeper flavor and color of Hubbard the best but have not been able to find any so far...even at my Hutterite farmers' market.  Hoping it's just too early. 

[ElsieD]

We have eaten a lot of it here also.  Our favourite squash is delicata.

[Raamo]

We got a bunch from our CSA, one started to go nuts so it was cooked.  Most of the time they last.  But it might be early for some sources.  

[heidih]

Also a delicata fan here though it is much softer than most "hard" squashes. Cut in rings, olive oil and salt is all it needs to bring out its "delicate" flavor. Great snack.  I also enjoy kabocha and since it is just me I like that some Latin markets sell the various bigger guys in wedges. 

[chromedome]

I like Delicata and its pudgier kin, Sweet Dumpling, though they don't keep nearly as well as other winter squashes. There's a lot of buttercup grown around here and it's a particular favorite of mine for its relatively dry, "baked potato" texture after roasting, so I stock up on it while the local crop is in full swing. I've got several pounds already roasted, bagged and frozen, and may yet splurge on a 50-lb bag to split with the in-laws and stepdaughter.

 

A halved and precooked Sweet Dumpling makes a marvelous vessel for shirred eggs, btw.

[Darienne]

I don't know why...but I just don't really like winter squashes.  Every year I make some kind of squash soup and eat it once and think how delicious.  But I don't want to eat it a second time.   Not at all.

[ElsieD]

This is a squash I came across the other day which I had never seen before or even heard of.  It is called a Honeynut squash and resembles a baby Butternut Squash.  It is not, however, a baby Butternut Squash.  It is said to be sweeter and less fibrous than other squashes.  I put a one cup measuring cup next to them to give you an idea as to size.  We haven't had one yet so can't comment on the taste.

Edited December 13, 2021 by ElsieD
Fixed typo (log)

[blue_dolphin]

5 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

This is a squash I came across the other day which I had never seen before or even heard of.  It is called a Honeycut squash and resembles a baby Butternut Squash.

 

A very similar squash, named Honeynut is sold around here.  I really like them because of their smaller size. If I don't plan well, I end up tossing parts of a big butternut. 

[ElsieD]

13 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

A very similar squash, named Honeynut is sold around here.  I really like them because of their smaller size. If I don't plan well, I end up tossing parts of a big butternut. 

Thanks!  I meant "nut" not "cup" and have fixed the typos.  I'm curious - have they been around for a while where you live?

[Anna N]

25 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Thanks!  I meant "nut" not "cup" and have fixed the typos.  I'm curious - have they been around for a while where you live?

Ta da

[blue_dolphin]

27 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Thanks!  I meant "nut" not "cup" and have fixed the typos.  I'm curious - have they been around for a while where you live?

I first saw them when visiting my mom in northern NY in 2014 and saw them pop up in the farmers markets here a year or so later. 

[ElsieD]

13 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Ta da

 

Maybe I should be following the lunch topic!  Is one big enough for two people as a side dish?

[Anna N]

3 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Maybe I should be following the lunch topic!  Is one big enough for two people as a side dish?

I would say a definite yes unless yours is minuscule or you are both voraciously hungry. 

[TicTac]

Love squash (my 4 year old, not so much - makes the poor girl gag - least in a 'mashed' form).

 

Been doing a lot of soups (curried, thai style, etc) and roasting lately.

 

Have a gorgeous Kabocha sitting here and a Hubbard that are going to get turned into a Thai curry later this week.

 

 

[Okanagancook]

Squash is such a great vehicle for curries.  I like to mash a few chunks into the sauce to make it thicker.  With naan….I am in heaven.

[lindag]

Finally I was able to find some Hubbard squash when I went to a nearby nurseryfarm.

The had two kinds, one was the Blue type and the other was a dark green but I don't have a name for it.  For some reason, Hubbards are hard to find around here, none in the big stores. I'm keen to roast these up and I've never had the blue type before.

[BeeZee]

At Whole Foods yesterday, I spotted Delicata squash (one of my favorites), $1.99/lb for organic. Usually they have a sale on Winter squash at some point, used to be 99 cents/lb, but I suspect I'm not going to see that low of a price this year. I also like roasting up the seeds, they are small and get nicely crunchy.

[Okanagancook]

1 hour ago, BeeZee said:

At Whole Foods yesterday, I spotted Delicata squash (one of my favorites), $1.99/lb for organic. Usually they have a sale on Winter squash at some point, used to be 99 cents/lb, but I suspect I'm not going to see that low of a price this year. I also like roasting up the seeds, they are small and get nicely crunchy.

I have two Delicata squash in my pantry.  What is your favourite preparation and how do you make the seeds edible?

[BeeZee]

@Okanagancook, after cutting the squash in half lengthwise, I scrape the seeds/fibers with a spoon and dump it all in a bowl of water. I separate the seeds from the fiber/pulp and dry them on a cloth. Then I'll toss them in a bowl with a little oil and whatever seasoning I'm feeling (I like sweet/mild curry powder), spread out on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roast at 400 deg F, stirring occasionally, until they start to toast. I've also toasted them in a dry skillet and tossed with seasoning afterwards. For the squash itself, I just cut it into half moons, toss with salt/pepper and a drizzle of maple syrup (not much, I don't want to make it too sweet or have it burn), and put on a foil lined pan to roast, turning after 15 minutes or so, to get both sides browned. Sometimes when serving I'll drizzle with some pomegranate molasses or balsamic glaze.

[Okanagancook]

@BeeZee  thank you.  Is the oven at 400F for the cooking of the squash also?

I like the pomegranate seasoning idea.

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, BeeZee said:

@Okanagancook, after cutting the squash in half lengthwise, I scrape the seeds/fibers with a spoon and dump it all in a bowl of water. I separate the seeds from the fiber/pulp and dry them on a cloth. Then I'll toss them in a bowl with a little oil and whatever seasoning I'm feeling (I like sweet/mild curry powder), spread out on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roast at 400 deg F, stirring occasionally, until they start to toast. I've also toasted them in a dry skillet and tossed with seasoning afterwards. For the squash itself, I just cut it into half moons, toss with salt/pepper and a drizzle of maple syrup (not much, I don't want to make it too sweet or have it burn), and put on a foil lined pan to roast, turning after 15 minutes or so, to get both sides browned. Sometimes when serving I'll drizzle with some pomegranate molasses or balsamic glaze.

 

How do you get the crud on the seeds off?  I tried washing them once and could not get seeds without stuff stuck to them.

[ElsieD]

I got my stash of winter squash in last week.  We have already eaten 2 delicata and one carnival acorn squash but the remainder should do us for a while.  We have 9 delicata 5 carnival acorn and 2 butternut.  There is another location where we go to buy different squash from those we have and we may take a trip on the weekend to get a few more.  A couple of days ago I stuffed a carnival one with  with quinoa (and some other stuff) and quite enjoyed it.

 

@Okanagancook should you have the book Yum and Yummer  by Greta Podleski of Looneyspoons, Crazy Plates, and Eat, Shrink and be Merry fame, the recipe is in there.

Edited October 20, 2022 by ElsieD
Changed couscous to quinoa (log)

[BeeZee]

@Okanagancook, yes, I roast the squash at 400, usually I cut the slices around 1/2” thick.

@ElsieD, it is kind of time consuming, but I throw the mess of seeds and stringy flesh into a bowl of water, separate and pull the seeds, throw them into a mesh strainer, and rinse them again.

[ElsieD]

22 hours ago, BeeZee said:

@Okanagancook, yes, I roast the squash at 400, usually I cut the slices around 1/2” thick.

@ElsieD, it is kind of time consuming, but I throw the mess of seeds and stringy flesh into a bowl of water, separate and pull the seeds, throw them into a mesh strainer, and rinse them again.

Thanks.  I'll give it another try.

[Okanagancook]

I made the squash tonight…very good. I found the seeds not too much trouble to clean.  I did not worry about every little bit of squash inners clinging to the seed.  They roasted well,popping as they got near done.

 

😁😁