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Well, here we are on the cusp of fall. The weather is cold and the last vestiges of summer items like tomatoes are emerging from those farms that employ greenhouses to extend the seasons. Halloween is right around the corner, pumpkins for carving are in the Greenmarket, and this is a fine time to talk about eating their cousins, winter squash, as well. Well-stocked farm stands like Alex and Linda Paffenroth’s will have numerous varieties for you to experiment with. Some of the best choices are buttercup, butternut, hubbard, and kabochas – something of a catch-all marketing term - which have been the chefs’ darling for the last few seasons. Here is a great rundown on winter squash from Ganda’s joint.
When it comes to preparation, cooking in the oven is our go to method for these large vegetables. That being said, anything is possible. Last week at Lupa they were featured on the menu shredded raw (along with celery root) in a salad, dressed with a zippy dressing, and topped tableside with crisped guanciale and its rendered fat.
Start by washing your squash, cutting it in half, and scooping out the seeds. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and put olive oil in an ovenproof pan. Determine your final desired dish; peel & cut the squash into 1/8ths if you just want simple roast squash for a side dish or salad, or leave it halved if you want to do a mash as described after the jump. Either way liberally coat them in sea salt and cook in the oven until they are soft enough to pierce the flesh with a paring knife.
Here is a recipe for a mash:
- Bake off a halved, medium-large squash till soft, cool slightly and scoop the flesh out of each half.
- Force the squash through a ricer, this is really a superior way to mash starch for mashed potatoes, gnocchi, and other dishes without gummy results. A hand masher can be substituted if need be.
- You can prep ahead to this point and chill, or proceed as below.
- Place riced/mashed squash into a heavy bottomed saucepan add in approximately ½ - ¾ cup whole milk and heat over medium heat whisking occasionally to incorporate the milk fully. Feel free to vary the amount of liquid to end up with a stiffer mash, a light puree or even a soup.
- Some complementary flavors you can introduce: maple syrup, ground coriander or cumin, nutmeg, paprika, cinnamon, chopped pecans, minced & sweated leeks, brown butter.
Care to share some of your favorite preparation techniques ?
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I love to chop kabocha or any squash with a thin, edible skin into chunks, sauté in oil with onion and garlic, then stir in lots of garam masala or any blend of spices, pulp of a tomato or two, S & P, stock to cover, and stew until tender. Add chopped cilantro and serve over rice, or as a side.
I get obsessive about winter squash when the weather cools down. My favorite is delicata squash, which seems somewhat less popular in the markets. Since it is usually smaller, long and thin, I slice it into rounds about 1/4-1/2 inch thick, toss in olive oil with salt and fresh ground pepper, then roast on a baking sheet in a hot oven, about 400. It only takes 20 minutes or so.
You can also do a great squash soup that is less fatty than your typical squash soup. Instead of butter and heavy cream, add a little light veggie or chicken stock and throw in some jarred chestnuts when you blend it.
I like to make Kaddo Bourani, which is an Afghani dish of baked caramelized sugar pumpkin with yogurt and meat sauces.
My favorite way to make butternut squash is very simple. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Fill the inside with whole cranberry sauce (from a can) and roast. The tartness of the cranberry tastes great with the sweet fleshy squash.
Also, my friend's father is Kurdish and once made the most delicious pumpkin soup called kubbeh. Any one know a good recipe for it?