Sensational Squash

Butternut, acorn, spaghetti, pumpkin--squash is the vegetable of the season. Our produce carts in the food pantry have been laden with all sorts of winter squash, which is good news for the frugally minded. Winter squash, properly cured, will keep through the winter if stored in a cool, dry spot, and the culinary possibilities are endless! Whether you go cinnamon sweet or sage savory, these autumnal gems offer something for everyone.


Those thick skins and hard bodies can seem intimidating until you realize that you can simply stab them in a few places (to vent steam) and stick them in the oven whole, bake until they are fork tender, then cut them in half and scoop out the soft flesh. From there you can make pumpkin pie (butternut can be used instead of pumpkin in any recipe) seasoned spaghetti squash, creamy butternut soup, and many other incredible creations (check out this vegetarian lasagne with butternut béchamel).

This season I have been especially taken with the simplicity and ease of transforming an adorable acorn squash into a comforting side dish, or a festive holiday entré.

We demonstrated and sampled roasted acorn squash in the pantry a few times, and plenty of folks seemed familiar with the basic butter and brown sugar method. At our Healthy Happy Holidays cooking workshop we assembled acorn squash stuffed with a tasty rice pilaf (perfect for the vegetarians at your holiday table). Find the recipe here, and be sure to enjoy these versatile, nutrient-rich beauties, while they are in season.

Roasting Fall Favorites

Thanks to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank's Garden & Gleaning Program, the Hub is well stocked with delicious and utterly autumnal acorn squash. These petite, late season squash have also come to us through our CSA with Heartland Family Farms, along with some lovely delicata squash.

Both of these beauties are perfect for roasting, and simple preparations, since they are packed with flavors that will warm your palate, while the oven warms your kitchen.

Our pantry patrons enjoyed sampling these two recipes: Basic Roasted Acorn Squash and Roasted Delicata (or Acorn) Squash with Red Onion.

Hummus with Roasted Beets

Hummus is an easy favorite dip made with chickpeas, olive oil, lemon and garlic. If you have it, add some tahini (sesame butter) for extra creaminess and additional nutrition. The roasted beet adds depth of flavor plus vibrant color.

1 can chickpeas
1/3 cup sesame tahini (optional)
juice of one lemon, plus the zest (the bright yellow part of the peel) finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil¼ teaspoon salt (more or less, to taste) 
1 large cooked peeled beet (red or golden) or several small ones.* 
parsley for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients except parsley and paprika in food processor until smooth, or mash thoroughly with a fork or potato masher. When serving drizzle extra olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Serve with pita, corn chips, crackers or sliced veggies. 

*To roast a beet, just wrap in foil and bake in a 350F oven for 40 minutes or until tender. Hint: they are easier to peel after they are cooked.

Smokey, Roasted Eggplant

       Adapted from Elsie Marley

ingredients

2 large eggplants (4 or 5 of the small, thin type)

1 tablespoon salt

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons cider vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have)

2 teaspoon smoked paprika (don’t substitute regular paprika, go get the smoked stuff)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional, but good)

2 large garlic cloves

1 cup parsley leaves, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F

Cut the eggplant into cubes (1 inch or so) and sprinkle with the salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, paprika, cumin, and maple syrup together

Add the garlic and the eggplant.

Mix everything up and spread it out on one sheet pant (it looks like a lot for one sheet pan, but the eggplant shrinks considerably)

Put it in the oven for 1 hour–stirring now and then. Really it can stay in for even longer, it just gets better.

When the eggplant is done, take it out and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the top.

Stir in the parsley and eat!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Having to peel and dice an oddly shaped, tough-skinned butternut squash for soup can be difficult (and dangerous). It’s best to simply cut it in half and roast it in the oven. The flavors will concentrate and the roasted flesh is easily scooped out of the skin. The squash is then quickly simmered with sautéed onion, sage, and tart apple, and blended with a bit of cream. To add a fancy touch, garnish with toasted pumpkin seed or fried sage leaves.

INGREDIENTS

·       2 pounds whole butternut squash (about 1 medium), halved lengthwise and seeds removed

·       2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)

·       1 medium apple ( a tart one is best, but use whatever you have

·       1/2 medium yellow onion

·       8 fresh sage leaves

·       1 cup  vegetable or chicken broth (you can also try using apple cider)

·       2 cups water (more if it seems too thick)

·       3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

·       1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

·       1/4 cup heavy cream (or half & half, whole milk, sour cream or yogurt)

·       1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, or sage leaves fried in butter for garnish (optional)

·        

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

2.     Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (optional). Place the squash pieces cut-side up on the baking sheet. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush all of it over the tops and insides of the squash halves (alternatively, you can rub it on evenly with your fingers). Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until knife tender, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.

3.     Meanwhile, peel, core, and cut the apple into medium dice. Cut the onion into medium dice. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the apple, onion, and sage, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

4.     When the squash is ready, set the baking sheet on a wire rack until the squash is cool enough to handle. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh into the saucepan with the sautéed apples and onions; discard the skins.

5.     Add the broth, water, and measured salt and pepper, stir to combine, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces of squash, until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream.

6.     Use an immersion (or stick) blender to puree the soup in the pot, until it is velvety smooth. If using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap (the pour lid) from the blender lid and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off). Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve garnished with the pumpkin seeds or fried sage leaves, if using.
      Adapted from chow.com

Roasted Delicata (or Acorn) Squash with Red Onions

You can use delicata or acorn squash here, the delicata has a tender skin, and never needs to be peeled. If you want to peel the acorn squash, wait until after it cooks. We adapted this one from myrecipes.com, but it looks like it originally came from Adam Hickman at Cooking Light. 

Ingredients

·       1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

·       1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

·       1 tablespoon honey 

·       2 teaspoons olive oil

·       3 garlic cloves, sliced

·       2 (12-ounce) delicata or acorn squashes, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices

·       1 (1-pound) red onion, cut into 12 wedges

·       1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

·       1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

·       Cooking spray

·       3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1.    Place a baking sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 475° (leave pan in oven).

2.    Combine first 5 ingre­dients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add squash and onion; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Carefully remove preheated pan from oven; coat pan with cooking spray or brush with oil. Arrange vegetable mixture in a single layer on pan. Bake at 475° for 20 minutes or until tender, turning once. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and chopped parsley.

Adam Hickman, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2013

Basic Roasted Acorn Squash

We found this simple recipe on chow.com, along with this fitting description:

After roasting, the center of this acorn squash becomes a tiny swimming pool of melty butter and molasses-y brown sugar—need we say more?

INGREDIENTS

·       1 medium acorn squash (about 1 pound)

·       1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and at room temperature

·       Kosher salt

·       Freshly ground black pepper

·       2 teaspoons packed light or dark brown sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

1.     Meanwhile, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Cut a small slice off the rounded side of each half to stabilize the halves so they sit upright.

2.      Place the halves cut-side up on a baking sheet. Using your fingers, coat the flesh of each half with 1 piece of the butter, then season generously with salt and pepper. Divide the sugar and remaining butter pieces between the squash cavities. Roast until fork tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.