About Winter Squash
Winter Squash
Some of the winter squash you'll find in your CSA boxes:
Left to right above:
1) Red Kuri, 2) Buttercup, 3) Delicata, 4) Pie Pumpkin, 5) Acorn, 6) Butternut
Acorn
Named for their often acorn-like shape, it is very mild in flavor, but sweet. Lower in starch than most other winter squash.
Buttercup
Super sweet and creamy, and very flavorful; often compared to a sweet potato.
Butternut
This fleshy, and deliciously sweet, nutty variety is a perfect all-around winter squash- and definitely the most commonly used. Easy to work with.
Carnival
It is related to acorn squash, so you can substitute it in your acorn squash recipes, but fine to use as a substitute for butternut too as it’s fairly mild and sweet.
Its attractive shape and festive coloring make it a terrific serving bowl for roasted vegetables, rice dish, cream soup, etc.
Delicata
This variety is less sweet, so it’s perfect for more savory dishes. When cooked, it gets really creamy, which could be why it’s such a favorite with squash lovers! If roasting slices, cut width-wise –to create pretty scalloped rounds or halves.
Kabocha
A Japanese variety, kabocha is arguably the sweetest tasting winter squash, even sweeter than butternut. The luscious texture will remind you of pumpkin and sweet potato.
Red Kuri
Though in a teardrop shape, to me, Red Kuri seems a very cheery squash- kind of like a pumpkin with a pointy little hat. It belongs to the hubbard squash family, and the flesh is delicate and nutty.
(Pie Pumpkin)
Spaghetti
Cream colored, long shaped squash. Very mild.
Flesh can be used like "spaghetti": roast squash and cool just enough to handle it,; run a fork through the flesh in long, sweeping strokes to separate it into “noodle” strands.
About Winter Squash
Storage:
Keep winter squash dry and in a cool, dark place- away from sunlight and heat (don't place near dishwasher or heat vent). In a drawer or a tucked-back corner of your countertop work well. Store away from tomatoes and fruit. Will last several weeks.
Prepping:
Some winter squash can be daunting to cut. If you find you just can’t cut it with a knife, try this tip.
Using a knife, make one or two (approx. 2") deep slits in raw squash; this will keep it from exploding in your microwave, so don’t skip this step! Bang the back of the knife with a mallet or hammer if you can't get the knife in. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, depending on your microwave and size of the squash. It should be just barely soft, like a melon, but not starting to cook. Let it sit on the counter a few minutes before cutting and preparing to roast or cook.
OR
After making the slit(s) in the squash, put it into the microwave or oven until it is fully cooked. When it's done, a knife should easily go through the soft flesh. You can then simply cut in half and scoop out the seeds and "gunk" after it's cooked.
About Squash Skin:
Most varieties’ skin is considered inedible. If it’s tough, it will not digest well- and then, you won’t feel well. Delicata’s skin is the most notable exception –it is very thin, and delicious when cooked. Some people like the cooked skin of very fresh, small, and tender acorn squash.
Basic Roasting:
Preheat oven to 400°. Cut squash in half or wedges (see Prepping note above). Scoop out seeds and roast them separately, or discard.
Very Basic Roasting Method 1:
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut squash in half or wedges and scoop out seeds. Place squash halves, skin side up, on the prepared sheet, and roast about 15-45 minutes, or until soft. Baking time will depend on size of squash pieces. If you are roasting wedges, you may want to tent them with foil, if you don't want them to form a browned "skin".
Roasting Method 2:
I sometimes like this method if I'm adding a stuffing while baking- it helps keep squash moist.
Pour about ½” water into a shallow baking dish, or line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or greased foil. Rub squash halves or wedges with light coating of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and lay into prepared dish or sheet. Tent with foil. Bake, turning once or twice, (if no stuffing), for 15 - 45 minutes, or until tender; time will depend on the size of your pieces. If you want to brown the squash a bit, remove foil midway through baking time.
Microwaving:
Cut squash in half or wedges, (see Prepping note above), and remove seeds. Place in greased microwave dish, flesh side down. Cover, and cook for 5-12 minutes, or until tender- cook time will depend on size of your halves or wedges.
Stovetop option:
You can cook squash that is diced or thinly cut into wedges on the stove top too. Toss the squash with a drizzle of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and add to skillet along with a little more olive oil. Cook, covered, for 10-20 minutes (depending on size), stirring often.
To puree flesh:
I find that if I scoop slightly cooled (but still warm) roasted squash in the food processor or blender, it purees the smoothest. Put into serving sized freezer containers for later use if you wish; or for a yummy dish right away, add a little butter, a dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg (+a drizzle of honey/maple syrup?) into the blender as it purees, and serve.
Note: if your squash was left uncovered while roasting and has gotten browned or developed a crust, remove that portion before pureeing.
Tip: For best results, place the puree in a sieve and allow to drain overnight in the fridge. This will help keep your recipes from getting too soggy.
To roast winter squash/pumpkin seeds:
Preheat oven to 300°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Pull the seeds from the inside of the squash, removing most of the stringy stuff as you go. I think leaving a little "goo" and a couple of strings adds flavor, so I don’t clean super thoroughly. If you prefer neat and tidy looking snack seeds, you may rub the seeds clean.
Toss about 1 c. raw seeds with about 2 tsp. melted butter or olive oil. I prefer butter, but olive oil is good too.
Lay the seeds out, single layer on the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Lay on paper towels to cool.
You can also saute them in a skillet on the stove top for about 5 minutes, they won't have quite the same roasted flavor, but they’re still really yummy.
Toss into a freezer Ziploc bag or container and freeze so you have a yummy snack, or garnish for soups and salads at the ready!
Freezing uncooked squash:
Peel squash, then cut it into slices, wedges, or bite-sized chunks and blanch by putting into a colander or sieve and dunking into a big pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Pull out and immediately dunk the colander into a bowl of ice water and swish around. Remove and allow to drain thoroughly. In a single layer, place the blanched squash pieces on a baking sheet and freeze. When frozen, transfer to a freezer ziplock bag or container. Will keep for about 1 year.
Liz Talley, Urban Graze
All rights reserved©
