Hello again:) This is Katie with a post on Squash that Laura grew at Backyard Bounty.
It took me this long to write the post because as I was trying to compile all of my squash recipes to share with you, I came to the realization that I have none. I have ideas, but no actual recipes. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love recipes. I have my Grandma Rose’s cookbooks, with her penciled in directions and notations…It makes those recipes priceless! I have handwritten recipes from my Mom, my Mother in law, some friends…It’s a beautiful tradition and one that I fully intend to pass along to my kids. Anyway, we eat A TON of squash IN EVERYTHING…simply because it is so healthy and it’s a sneaky veggie in terms of texture. Yes the orange color is a giveaway, but at this point my kids think that everything I make has an orange tinge to it:) Backyard Bounty supplied us with Acorn, Hubbard, Spaghetti, Butternut, Buttercup, Mini Acorns called Honey Bear, and Delicatas this year. The Sweet Dumplings were also an Acorn variety… striped I believe. They were all beautiful and came in abundance. Laura told me to store what we didn’t use on the basement steps and in closets to keep them cool and dry. The last of the bushel I ordered from her came at the end of October, and we have only 3 squash left:( So this is what we did with our squash.
Cut them in half, take out the seeds and strings, rub it with olive oil and roast it in your oven facing up. Your oven can be heated to anything between 250- 400 degrees…Just watch for it to be done. I throw squash in all of the time! Alone, or with other things I am baking (except finicky breads). Baking a pie? Roast a sqaush! Roasting a chicken? Throw in a squash! It will be done within an hour…when it is soft! If it is firmer, cube it. If it got too soft, then mash it…It doesn’t matter really, I use it as an ingredient. When it is done, I peel the skin off, put it a bowl and mash it. If I dont use it right away I store it in the fridge. Then I use this puree witin just about everything!
- baby food,obviously
- add to cooked Polenta, some green chillies and top with a fried egg and some goat cheese.
- add it to whole or buckwheat pancake mix. This is the only way we eat pancakes, lots of squash,and lots of cinnamon. If we don’t have Wisconsin Maple syrup on hand I thaw out a frozen fruit puree from the summer: pear, apple, peach, plum, and any of the berries…Most of which were from Backyard Bounty!
- Add it to spaghetti sauce for all pasta dishes! The kids have no clue, nor does my husband for that matter, they are eating squash in lasagna:)) Makes things that much more healthy)
- easily added to all muffin, quick breads, cake and cookie recipes. You can just add it in as an extra ingredient, or use it as a fat free substitute for the fat. I’m not one for boxed anything, although i saw this on Pinterest…Add 8 oz. of squash puree to any chocolate cake mix instead of the eggs, water and oil and then bake as directed…It was outstanding.
- Make a squash glaze for muffins and zucchini breads. Squash puree, powdered sugar and vanilla bourbon. Just keep mixing until you get the consistency you like.
- All types of squash soups…With veggie, chicken or beef stock…I just add whatever is in my freezer. This all emulsifies quite easily and we add sour cream, goat cheese, or yogurts to these for an even smoother texture. I flavor them either with garam masala, or nutmeg and white pepper. This ends up being the best soup ever for dipping panini and grilled cheeses.
- Cumin Squash fritters with shredded zuchinni,and onion with a drizzle of lemon flavored yogurt sauce are the kids absolute fave. Falafel inspired:)
- Mashed up squash with black beans, salsa, cilantro and avocado…this taste awesome with some balsamic marinated flank steak strips on the side.
- I make a squash sage sauce by mixing together the squash puree with ground sage,applesauce and some white wine in the pan drippings after frying porkchops. Then pour it over the chops and you have a heart healthy creamy textured sauce rather than a butter based wine sauce or a Bechamel.
Get it? It’s so healthy and none of these recipes that you can find in any of your cookbooks are harmed by adding a cup or two of squash to the ingredients. It’s just a nutrients and flavor booster:) The only type of squash i treat differently is the spaghetti squash. Like many of you do, cut it lengthwise, roast it with olive oil, and with your fork shred the squash until you have a bowl full of long spaghetti like”noodles”. We eat it plain with a bit of Parmesan, or marinara. But the most delicious way we have been eating these squash noodles is with edamame and soy sauce. A far better alternative to rice noodles or ramen:)
Well, hope that this wasn’t long winded… Hopefully soon I will be adding links and pictures as well.
Thanks for reading. Cheers!
Katie
