Winter Squashes
By Sidonie Maroon, Culinary educator at The Food Co-op
My kitchen island is an autumnal still life of winter squashes. Arranged in artistic topsy-turvy are pie pumpkins, buttercups, butternuts, acorns, delicatas, and a green-skinned beauty that looks like a hat from the Mongolian steppes.
Curious Squash Facts
Last week, my husband brought home a buttercup squash, and I made an Indian curry, enjoying its chestnut flavor and golden flesh. Afterwards, always curious, I discovered winter squashes come from distinct genuses within the cucurbita family. Butternut is a Cucurbita moschata, while acorns, delicatas, pumpkins and spaghetti squashes are Cucurbita pepos. Cucurbita maxima — include Hubbards, buttercups and kabocha types.
Maxima originated in South America between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago, from Argentina or Uruguay. They didn’t spread to North America until the 16th century where they were first used by native peoples.
Portuguese sailors brought the kabocha types to Japan. They have a sweet flavor, even sweeter than butternut. Their texture is between a pumpkin and a sweet potato.
Buttercup with dense yellow-orange flesh is reminiscent of the white sweet potato in flavor. It’s popular in Brazil, Columbia and Africa. A Hubbard squash is huge, sometimes between 15 and 40 pounds, and sold in pieces. It has a smooth texture with sweet and nutty tasting flesh.
By the way — those monster pumpkins you see around Halloween, well, they aren’t pumpkins, but varieties from the Maxima genus. Maxima — huge, get it? Cinderella pumpkins aren’t pumpkins either, and I’m not sure how that affects the fairytale, but I’ll do some research and get back to you.
Kabocha Squashes
While familiar with butternuts, acorns, pumpkins, and delicatas, I’m learning to enjoy the kabocha types. They have dense rich flesh with good flavor and aren’t watery or stringy. They make excellent pies, custards, purees and breads; are fabulous as a soup squash and wonderful as curries. You can roast, steam or pressure cook them. Lazy me, I put the whole squash in the Instant Pot on high for 15 minutes and then puree. Always save the seeds and skin to make a rich vegetable broth. I use it as a soup base, and as the liquid for cooking legumes and grains.
The winter squash season runs from late summer to mid-winter. With tough thick skins to protect their sweet inner flesh, they make wonderful storage vegetables, whole or pureed for the freezer, but what excites me is all the ways to serve them.
Winter Squash Dinner Ideas
Roast slices with a maple glaze, and serve with oyster mushrooms. Tempura fritters with sage leaves. Roast, peeled and diced, with olive oil, honey, thyme and ginger. Puree with lime, curry spices and chilies. Steam a custard with cardamom, cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Bake a savory pie with rosemary, parmesan and bacon. Try a Haitian beef and buttercup stew. Cook up a Thai peanut and squash soup. Or, how about an African peanut, squash and coconut soup? Make many Indian squash curries. Simmer a Japanese Kabocha. Eat often like mashed potatoes with butter and orange zest.
Buttercup Squash and Apple Curry
Makes a quart
The golden yellow alone makes this dish, but you won’t want to pass up the velvety squash, chunky tart apples, cashews and curry spicing. Serve alone or as a side to naan, poultry or red lentil dal.
Ingredients
¼ cup unsalted butter, or oil of choice
1 large onion, cut into a medium dice
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced or paste
2 large baking apples, quartered with each quarter cut into 4 chunks
1 cup unsalted raw cashews
2 cups buttercup squash puree
14-ounce can full fat coconut milk, or cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Spices
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 green cardamom pods opened or ¼ teaspoon decorticated cardamom
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Directions
Instant Pot Whole Squash: Pierce whole squash in several places. Set the squash in a steamer basket and set inside the inner pot. Add 2 cups of water to the bottom of the inner pot. Check the Instant Pot seal and put the lid on. Set to high pressure for 15 minutes with an instant release. Allow the squash to cool. Open it up, scrap the seeds aside and scoop the flesh out and puree. Use all the seeds, guts and skin to make stock in the Instant Pot: Add squash remains with 1 quart of water and any other peelings to the inner pot. Check the Instant Pot seal and put the lid on. Set to the broth cycle with a natural release.
In a large saute pan, using a medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the onions and ginger. Saute them for 10 minutes.
Add the apples and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the cashews and continue to saute for another 5 minutes. The apples should be bite tender but not falling apart. The cashews will soften.
While the onions and apples are sauteing, grind the spices.
Add the salt and sugar to the saute with the spices.
Mix the squash and coconut milk together. Add to the saute and fold in.
Serve hot.
Butternut Squash Salad with spicy maple, ginger, lemon dressing
Ingredients
3 lb butternut squash peeled
and cut into a medium dice
½ cup chopped cilantro
Dressing
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup fresh lemon juice plus zest of a whole lemon
⅓ cup walnut oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup candied ginger made into a paste
Directions
On a baking sheet lined with parchment roast squash with olive oil and salt for 20 minutes at 425F, stir and roast another 15-20 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife.
Dressing
Make a paste out of the candied ginger by pulsing in the food processor. Add other ingredients and process until emulsified. Pour over squash, toss and let marinate 1-2 hours
Sprinkle cilantro over before serving.
Taste to correct salt.
Italian Navy bean, roasted butternut squash stew with greens and parmesan
Makes 2 quarts
A satisfying creamy roasted stew with greens.
Ingredients
Instant Pot
1 ½ cups dry Navy beans
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 quart vegetable broth
Roasting
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and evenly diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Greens
4 cups mixed sturdy greens like chard, kale, and mustard greens, chopped
Finish
2 tablespoons Bragg’s aminos
1 teaspoon fish sauce (anchovy based)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
grated parmesan at the table
Directions
Instant Pot
Add beans, salt and broth to the Instant Pot. Use the bean setting, or set to high pressure for 45 minutes with a natural release.
When the beans are done, open the lid, and push saute. Add the greens and cook at a simmer until they are soft.
Roasting
Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Add the roasting ingredients to the tray and rub with olive oil, salt and herbs. Roast for 30 minutes. Stir the ingredients and roast for another 15 minutes.
Finish
Add the roasted vegetables to the beans and greens. Correct the seasoning by adding the aminos, fish sauce and vinegar. Serve hot in wide rimmed bowls with parmesan at the table.
Loaded Delicata with Roasted Shiitake and Parmesan Kale
Makes 2 servings
An easy Autumn side that you’ll want to keep in your repertoire. The squash roasts and steams, making the insides sweet and the skin edible. The kale becomes unctuous, while the shiitakes and golden garlic are addictive. Serve alone or with Italian sausage.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound shiitakes, stemmed and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced squash
1 delicata squash, sliced lengthwise, seeded
Sprinkle of sea salt
Dash of pepper or red chili powder
2 teaspoons dried sage, or 1 tablespoon fresh kale
Drizzle of olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry or apple cider vinegar
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 F and prep all ingredients
Prepare the squash by cutting off the top and tail ends, slicing lengthwise and scraping out the seeds (save the squash scraps to make stock). Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and sage. Lay the squash in the bottom of a large rectangular casserole lined with parchment paper.
Prepare the kale by washing, chopping off the stems, rolling the leaves tightly in a bundle lengthwise and finely chopping into rounds, then chop the other direction into smaller pieces. Lay the cut kale on a large piece of parchment paper, massage in olive oil, salt, vinegar and cheese. Wrap the kale up into a package. Lay it, wrapped side down, into the casserole next to the squash.
Roast, on a middle shelf, at 425 F the squash and kale for 45 minutes.
Prepare the mushrooms by wiping them off. Cut off the stems and save them for stock. Slice the shiitakes thinly. On a parchment lined baking sheet lay the mushrooms out. Toss with the olive oil and garlic. Do not salt the mushrooms until they’ve roasted.
15 minutes before the squash has roasted, add the shiitakes to the oven. If you’re short on room, they can ride on top of the casserole. Stir them after they’ve roasted for 7 minutes. They will roast for 15 minutes.
Take everything out and put it into each squash boat. Salt the shiitakes and mound onto the kale. Be careful not to eat them all before they reach the squash. Serve with verve — delicioso!
