Squash 101 (was Re: ? for Theresa M...)

[Guest guest]

Hi:

Okay, here's what I do with squash. These aren't hard and fast recipes per

se, so let me know if they don't work out.

This is the time of year for winter squashes: the long-keeping ones with a

hard skin like acorn, butternut, hubbard, pumpkin, etc. Buy as many as you

can now and they'll last well into January. Our farmers' markets are done

for the season, but if I had the $$$ I would have stocked up on a bunch of

these, they are nutritionally dense. I bought mine from a farmer who grows

them organically and biodynamically.

To cook, I use the lazy method. I use my oven almost every day. I cut the

squash (any kind) stem to stern, north pole to south pole. I don't scoop out

the seeds yet, leaving them in keeps the squash moister (although for

seed-dense squashes like pumpkin, I like to scoop out the seeds and

oven-roast them at a low temp, say 250-300, with a bit of butter for non-SCD

people). Put the squash cut side down on a cookie sheet with sides or a cake

pan, whatever fits. Sometimes I put a little water in the bottom, but I

don't know if that's necessary. Bake it at 350 for about 45 minutes to 1

hour, or until a fork or sharp knife inserted into the flesh goes through

easily, i.e. the flesh isn't too firm.

Let it cool; although sometimes I do this step while still hot, using oven

mitts. Scoop out the seeds and string and discard. Either peel off the skin

or scoop/cut out the flesh. When I'm doing this for freezing, I wait until

the squash is room temperature and put 1 " square cubes on a sheet of wax

paper on a cookie sheet into the freezer until frozen, then store the cubes

in zip lock bags in the freezer for future use. You can make up quite a

batch at one time and freeze it.

Recipes. Here are the two main recipes I use the squash for.

Squash Squares. We really love pumpkin pie, but I've never been a big crust

fan anyway, and I came up with this one day after I tried baking it as a

custard and I got impatient. Put about 4 cups of squash cubes as prepared

above into a blender (see the connection?). Add 4 large eggs, (and this is

the non-recipe part) spices and honey to taste. I add about 1 tbsp of

cinnamon, some ground cardamon, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of cloves,

along with a pinch of salt. When I'm using blue-skinned squashes like

hubbard, and my favourite, sweet meat, I can get away with adding about a

tbsp. of honey, otherwise, try about 1/4 cup. Add just enough liquid for

your blender to be able to puree (if I had a better blender, I'd need less

liquid, and I'd have firmer squares). I have used yogurt and canned coconut

cream. You can also add melted butter or coconut oil to make it more

filling, but I never have the time to melt it for adding so often omit it

and it tastes just fine. Pour into a well-buttered 9 x 13 " pan (although a

smaller pan will give you thicker squares). Bake at 350F for about 20-25

minutes, or just until it starts to pull away from the pan. You must wait

until it cools for it to cut properly, but I often just eat it right away.

The kids (even my notoriously picky 10yo dd) love this...for breakfast,

school lunch dessert, after school or bedtime snack. Haven't tried freezing

it after it's baked, there's never any leftovers.

Squash Soup. I puree about 4 cups of squash (butternut and acorn are less

sweet, more suitable for soups) with enough stock to make a medium soup. I

add sea salt and coconut cream, and different spices depending on my mood:

1/2 tsp cinnamon; curry powder; leftover tomato sauce. The other secret I

use is if I have leftover meat (especially if it's " grisly " meat, I cook it

for a while in the stock, and then puree it with the squash, that way I

don't waste the meat and they get extra protein), other times, I'll pan-fry

a bunch of kale, chard or spinach in a bunch of butter, adding garlic at the

end, and puree that with the squash. My son and 3yo dd LOVE this (tonight he

asked me to save the recipe, but it's different each time depending on how

my stock turns out, I used pork stock tonight), but my 10yo dd turns her

nose up, hence the squash square creation.

That's it. Sorry this is so long. Let me know if you have any questions.

Take care. Theresa (in Vancouver, Canada)

? for Theresa M...

I gotta ask...what are your " squash squares " ?

Lori (who's now on a mission to find some new veggie recipes)

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> Hi:

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> SNIP My dream appliance would be a commercial grade

blender that could crush ice and make a " Slurpee " type drink, or not

start smoking when I blend squash to make my squash squares