Winter squash recipes

[helenas]

i got this perfectly looking organic baby blue hubbard today - planning to roast it halved and then stuff with roasted chanterelles and cream:

[kayswv]

What an absolutely beautiful picture. The dish sounds delicious. Will you share a picture of the finished product? I brought a bag of chanterelles today and they are on our menu but simply sauteed in butter. Kay

[helenas]

the initial idea of hubbard/chanterelles became a dinner tonight with buttercup/hen of the woods combo: so delicious!

[Daniel]

Wow is that gorgeous..

[helenas]

yet more adventures of squash - pumpkin gratin provencal: this is really a winner - simple and glorious... although coming from Olney, what else one would expect:

[Apicio]

Not a side dish but for dessert here: http://karen.mychronicles.net/index.php?p=34

[Syrah]

yet more adventures of squash - pumpkin gratin provencal: this is really a winner - simple and glorious... although coming from Olney, what else one would expect:

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That looks amazing.. is the greenery sage?

[helenas]

thank you - this is parsley:

the list of ingredients is very short - just pumpkin, garlic and parsley - everything is finely chopped, good splash of evoo and couple of hours in low oven;

it's so good - i will try it soon with hubbard - Whole Foods carries many interesting baby winter squashes!

[ianeccleston]

Has anyone made Jeffrey Steingarten's panade of squash, as in the November 2004 issue of Vogue? I misplaced my wife's copy.

The recipe is great - the beef broth, cheese offset the sweetness of the squash nicely.

Thanks,

Ian

Edited October 3, 2005 by ianeccleston (log)

[helenas]

Does anybody know what squash is this?

The label said futsu but after extensive googling i'm not sure because of the color:

[prasantrin]

I once made a variation of Savoury Vegetable Crisp that was very well received. Living in Japan, I had to make a lot of substitutions--I left out the apple butter and the oats from the topping, using more butter and panko instead. For the vegetables, I used carrots and kabocha, and I used more chicken stock to make up for the lack of cream. It was still fabulous, and I'm planning to make it again for Thanksgiving. Maybe this time, though, I'll be able to use all the right ingredients.

[Gifted Gourmet]

The autumn squash dish that I make is stuffed acorn squash .. and now that I have been finding golden acorns rather than the dark green ones, I have made this more and more frequently ...

Bake squash, halved and seeded, in a large covered roasting pan with water in the bottom for an hour or so at 375 ...

Prepare the filling: fresh cranberries (one bag is fine), 1/2 cup sugar, port wine, orange zest, cut up apples ... bring to a boil and simmer until thick (15-20 minutes).

Fill the cooked squash with the mixture and serve warm ...

Rather attractive side dish for Thanksgiving ...

[ruthcooks]

Half an acorn squash with sausage stuffing is an entire--and very filling--meal for me. I can't imagine such a big serving at Thanksgiving, when there are usually so many other dishes on the table.

How about combining apples with the squash and chestnuts? All cubed and roasted with thyme, perhaps. Or you could pour the mushroom-cheese-custard over the cubes of butternut in a casserole.

[jgm]

I was listening to a local radio program today, and the host was interviewing a chef from the CIA. He was speaking of the school's book of soup recipes and techniques, and mentioned a butternut squash and black bean soup. Mmmmm. That book is now on my Amazon wish list.

Also, I've never tried this, but reading through other descriptions of squash recipes, I'm thinking that acorn squash stuffed with mincemeat might just be pretty wonderful. For what it's worth.

[helenas]

am i the only one who finds acorn ones pretty tasteless?

there are other nice baby squashes out there: delicata, carnival, baby pumpkins bursting with flavor!

[Suzanna]

Does anybody know what squash is this?

The label said futsu but after extensive googling i'm not sure because of the color:

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It is mutants futsu , and look, I think they are about to make another mutant futsu right now

[ruthcooks]

It is mutants futsu  , and look, I think they are about to make another mutant futsu right now 

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But my dear, I think those are both males. Perhaps we need both a futsu and a mutsu.

[snowangel]

I picked up a lovely lot of squash at the farmer's market -- 5 for $3.00 (grower's choice as to what whas in the bag).

Any particular suggestions for any of these? I don't even know what any of them are called.

BTW, that absolutely beautiful bag of spinch, at $1.00, had my name written all over it. I already have plans for that!

[Steven Blaski]

I picked up a lovely lot of squash at the farmer's market -- 5 for $3.00 (grower's choice as to what whas in the bag).

Any particular suggestions for any of these?  I don't even know what any of them are called.

BTW, that absolutely beautiful bag of spinch, at $1.00, had my name written all over it.  I already have plans for that!

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left to right: ambercup or gold nugget, butternut (tall beige guy), carnival or maybe sweet dumpling (the little heart-shaped green-striped one), delicata (torpedo-shaped one in the foreground), and 2 buttercups (dark green guys in background).

Click here for pix and suggestions.

Edited October 18, 2005 by Steven Blaski (log)

[andiesenji]

This can be made ahead of time refrigerated or even frozen then just heated to serve.

If you have a problem with oven space on the big day, this is one good make-ahead side.

Baked squash with apples and chutney.

2 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick.

1 stick butter sliced into pats

3 tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch dice

2/3 cup mango chutney (Major Grey's is okay)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Mix the chopped apples with the chutney and syrup.

Arrange half of the squash slices in a buttered baking dish so the slices overlap by half

for the first layer.

Dot with half the butter evenly over the squash.

Spread half the apple/chutney mixture over the squash.

Arrange the remaining squash slices in the opposite direction, again overlapping the slices.

Dot with the remaining butter

Spread the remaining apple/chutney mixture over the squash.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes.

A fork should easily penetrate through to the bottom of the dish without resistance.

If the squash is still a bit firm, continue baking for another 15 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8

Medium butternut squash would be 10 inches in length and 4 inches in diameter at the narrow end. You can also use 4 large acorn squash or equivalent.

[Wholemeal Crank]

I bought a pair of large inexpensive squash at a mexican grocery

yesterday, being well aware that jack o' lanterns make lousy eating.

These were similarly sized, but had deep orange skin, and had a curious little

circle around the stem end, a bit like those turban-squash but not

raised up, just a circular line of obviously differently textured skin.

So was quite surprised to cut into these and find very similar

appearing/smelling flesh--very stringy, pale creamy yellow--to a jack

o'lantern. They're in the oven baking now, and I planned to use them

to make my squash soup where squash is the body of the soup, but am

afraid these are going to need a lot of doctoring to punch up the

flavor. Anyone have any experience with this type of squash?

Squash by debunix, on Flickr

And assuming the flavor is as bland as first nibble suggests--how would you work with it to make the final soup worth eating?

(this is the recipe I was going to use it in)

I'm already planning on long baking to try to concentrate flavor.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Sure, those are Zapallos. The all-orange types can be a little meh, but if you salt the soup well they'll actually taste just fine.

Next time you get them though, cook them by steaming - you gain a really neat nutty flavour that way.

[heidih]

I find that a dash of fish sauce and a dab of Dijon mustard can really make a difference. If you have any mushroom powder that would also add depth without becoming dominant. I used that combo recently with a pretty, but not so exciting, butternut squash destined for soup. I like the dryer, denser ones like Kabocha.

[andiesenji]

I like squash and cook it often, usually prepare soup with chicken stock. For the blander types I add ginger (fresh if possible), lime or lemon juice and a few blades of mace (1/2 teaspoon of ground to 2 quarts of soup as well as pepper. Sometimes I add curry paste -

I am fairly sparing with salt, if I use it at all, because I prefer to enhance the flavor instead of mask it.

I only add the seasonings after the soup has been cooked a bit - and add a little, cook for several minutes and taste, then add more if desired. There is no set amount because the strength or "bite" of ginger can vary widely so you have to go by taste. (I think it is more fun this way.)

I serve it with a dollop of sour cream and an generous spoonful of Sweet Chili Sauce - Mae Ploy is my favorite brand.

Here's a recipe that is somewhat like my preparation.

Here's another idea.

[LindaK]

In similar situations, I've had success by adding a little curry powder to a squash soup. Best to add it when you're sauteeing whatever onions, leeks, or shallot you may be using--the brief time in the hot fat removes any "raw" spice taste so that it blends in nicely with the squash.

Looking at your recipe, that seems like a lot of red peppers. They'll add some sweetness, but if your squash is bland I wonder if they'll dominate the soup. Let us know how it turns out.