Posted Nov 26, 2010
Can you say kabocha?
It’s high time for winter squash, and there’s a cornucopia of eye-catching varieties at grocery stores and farmers markets.
Winter squash come in many shapes and colors. No two look exactly alike.
Some are shaped like a flat pumpkin with a knot on top. Others resemble a large, oddly shaped football with bluish-gray skin so hard you need to drop it on concrete to break it into pieces. Some, with names like sweet dumpling, buttercup and delicata, have thick plump ridges that hover around sunken stems.
And winter squash are winners in nutrition and taste.
“Nutritionally, squash is one of the best things you can eat,” says Richard Andres, owner of Tantre Farms in Chelsea, “and it has an excellent flavor.”
Squash are packed with antioxidants and vitamins — and have no fats.
At Tantre Farms, Andres grows a variety of squash, including popular butternut and acorn. But he also has sweet dumpling, delicata, three varieties of kabocha, hubbard, Naples long and carnival.
“Hubbard is one of the best there is in terms of flavor and texture,” says Andres. “It has a devoted following; people like to cook and freeze it to have for the holidays.”
Customers commonly ask about the texture of different kinds of squash and how they’re cooked, he says.
“Actually people have been developing a literacy with squash.”
Squash can be prepared sweet or savory.
Simply peel squash and cut them into small pieces and roast in a bit of oil with honey and paprika.
Andres says the basic way to cook a squash is to cut it in half and dig out the seeds. Place it cut side down in a baking dish with about a half-inch of water and roast at 350 degrees until tender. Or you can stuff the squash — and make a meal out of it.
Stuff it with brown rice, sunflower seeds, walnuts and celery and top it with a sprinkling of cheese, he says.
“We used to fill them up with maple syrup and brown sugar and make it like a dessert,” says Andres. “They are almost like pie then, and you can have a lot of fun with them.”
The delicata variety has an edible skin. You can cut them into discs and pan fry them in apple cider.
But be aware that cutting into squash, with their thick skin and solid flesh, can be tough, Andres warns.
“People seem to have a problem cutting it,” says Andres. “But for the really, really big hard squash like hubbard, drop it on concrete and it will shatter.”
For the smaller butternut and acorn varieties, Andres advises using a butcher knife to pierce it and then turn the knife downward so the squash splits.
Store squash in a cool and dry place and, Andres says, they’ll keep a couple of months if they have been carefully harvested and have no damaged skin.
“Store them in a back room in your house that’s between 45 and 55 degrees,” he says, adding that they should be kept on a shelf or rack so there is good air flow.
Recipe: Sausage Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash
Sausage Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash (ANDRE J. JACKSON/Detroit Free Press)
Serves: 4 (generously) / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes The bread cubes are optional, but using them gives more of a traditional stuffing consistency.
2 sweet dumpling, acorn or favorite small squash
1 pound bulk pork sausage, sweet or hot
1 medium onion, peeled, chopped
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 cups bread cubes, optional
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, optional
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Split squash through the stem and remove seeds and fibers. Place the squash halves, cut side down, in roasting pan. Add 1/2 inch of water and bake about 30 minutes or until squash is tender.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown the pork sausage and drain off about half the fat. Add the onion and mushrooms and saute until soft. Add the bread cubes, if using, and cranberries. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
When the squash are done, divide filling among the four. If you have extra filling, you can put it in a side dish. Drizzle the maple syrup on top of each squash and dot with butter if desired. Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake another 10 minutes, uncovered, to crisp the top.
Adapted from Free Press archives and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. 370 calories (39% from fat), 16 grams fat (5 grams sat. fat), 49 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams protein, 363 mg sodium, 35 mg cholesterol, 6 grams fiber.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup (ANDRE J. JACKSON/Detroit Free Press)
Serves: 6 (generously) / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 6 hours 45 minutes (not all active time) Cream cheese is the secret to a creamy ready-when-you-want-it squash soup.
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ambercup, butternut or buttercup squash (about 2 pounds, peeled, cubed)
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
In a 10-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.
In a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix onion and remaining ingredients except cream cheese.
Cover; cook mixture on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours.
In blender or food processor, place one-third to one-half of mixture. Cover; blend on high speed until smooth. Repeat with remaining squash mixture. Return mixture to slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese. Cover; cook on low heat about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Stir with wire whisk until smooth.
Cook’s note: You may stir in a 1-pound bag of frozen mixed vegetables (thawed and drained) with the cream cheese.
From www.bettycrocker.com Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. 230 calories (66% from fat), 17 grams fat (11 grams sat. fat), 15 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein, 910 mg sodium, 50 mg cholesterol, 2 grams fiber.
Spiced Ambercup Squash with Glazed Walnuts
Spiced Ambercup Squash with Glazed Walnuts (ANDRE J. JACKSON/Detroit Free Press)
Serves: 6 (generously) / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes Microwave the whole squash about 5 minutes to make it easier to peel and cut.
1 ambercup squash or favorite squash, about 2 1/2 pounds
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
Sea salt to taste
GLAZED WALNUTS
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
Peel the squash and remove and discard the seeds. Cut the squash into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the squash chunks on the baking sheet and bake about 20 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar with the butter and five-spice powder. Cook over moderate heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is bubbling, about 4 minutes. Pour the mixture over the squash pieces and stir to coat. Season with salt. Bake for about 10 minutes, basting a few times, until the squash pieces are tender and glazed.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, corn syrup and butter and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat until a light caramel forms, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the baking soda and salt. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Quickly spread the toffee on the prepared baking sheet as thinly as possible. Cool completely and then break into pieces.
Sprinkle the walnut toffee over the squash and serve.
Adapted from Food & Wine magazine, November 2009 issue. Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. 342 calories (42% from fat), 16 grams fat (7 grams sat. fat), 52 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 114 mg sodium, 25 mg cholesterol, 1 gram fiber.
Contact SUSAN M. SELASKY: 313-222-6432 or sselasky@freepress.com.
Date: Nov 7, 2009
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