Organic Winter Squash - The Cook’s Friend

From Rosalind Creasy
Winter squashes are Mexico’s gift to the cooking world. These nutritional powerhouses are not only lusciously delicious and sweet; in the kitchen they are extremely versatile. Over the years I have studied this vegetable and cooked dozens of different types. Today, I would say, my favorites are the sweet butternut, I find it the easiest to peel and the cubes are great for roasting; Kabocha (Japanese chestnut squashes) that have such dense flesh and meatiness that are perfect for baking and pureeing; and, I love the acorn types for their rich mellow flavor that pairs so well with all type of nuts and brown sugar.
In Mexico winter squashes are made into a puree and baked inside empanadas, or bathed in a sugar syrup, then dried, and eaten as a favorite children’s snack. The seeds are roasted and salted or added to candies, even ground into their famous mole sauces.
Early on the explorers introduced this giant vegetable to Europe and soon the Italians were adding winter squash cubes to risotto and soups, and they mashed and seasoned the pulp with herbs and spices to fill raviolis. In gay Paris they use the heirloom pumpkin Rouge Vif d’Etampes to bake a rich leek and cheese soup and create a rich gratin by layering the squash and baking it with cream and hazelnuts.
In this country, for centuries the Native Americans have roasted whole squash in the coals or added the cubes to stews along with venison or turkey and flavored them with chilies. The colonists grew and cooked winter squash as well. They mashed the flesh and sweetened the pulp with sugar or molasses, and sometimes apples were added. This mixture was then made into pies and puddings, which were served as a side dish to the meal with other vegetables and starches. Not until the twentieth century were pies and puddings accepted as dessert items.
If I had to limit myself to three winter squash recipes I would choose the following:
Native Winter Squash Stew
This is recipe based on one given to me by Maheena Drees and Gary Nabham of Native Seed Search years ago. It’s one of my favorite recipes and I make lots of variations.
1 pound organic ground turkey meat
2 tablespoons oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 to 6 cups or organic winter squash, peeled and cubed (Butternut is ideal)
6 to 8 fresh mild green chilies roasted, peeled, and chopped or 2 - 4 ounce cans of diced mild chilies
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 ears of organic sweet corn, kernels removed or 1 large can niblet corn
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 2 peeled tomatoes chopped
In a large cast iron stew pot or skillet, brown the turkey meat in oil with the onions. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer covered over a low heat for 30 to 45 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Serves 4 to 6.
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Potage de Rouge Vif d’Etampes
Rouge Vif d’Etampes is a French heirloom pumpkin reminiscent of Cinderella’s coach. It was introduced to the American market in 1883 by the W. Atlee Burpee Company. While growing in popularity today among heirloom mavens, few know how to cook this delicate-flavored pumpkin. In the 1800’s, Parisian chefs favored it as a base for vegetable stocks. I find it lends itself well to the following rich chowder, served in the French style - in the pumpkin. Serve it as you would a hearty chowder or stew.
6 cups 1-inch cubes of home-made-style white bread
1 (10 to 12-inch) ‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’ pumpkin or other tasty winter squash
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound organic leeks (about 5 medium), white and pale green parts only, finely chopped, (about
5 cups)
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon powdered saffron
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Approximately 6 cups organic vegetable or chicken broth
Approximately 1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 to 2 cups Gruyere cheese in ½-inch cubes (about 1/2 pound)
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Put the bread cubes on cookie sheet and bake them for 10 minutes, stirring once. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Cut a 6-inch diameter lid from the top of the pumpkin. With a sharp metal spoon, scrape out seeds and stringy membranes. Place the pumpkin on a shallow baking pan. If the pumpkin does not sit level on the pan, support the tilting side with a piece of rolled-up aluminum foil.
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and sauté the leeks, fennel, and garlic until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and add the saffron, thyme, tarragon, salt, pepper, cayenne, and bread cubes, tossing them to mix thoroughly. Pour in chicken broth and half and half, stir gently and ladle mixture into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be filled within two inches of the top. Distribute the cheese cubes on top and replace the lid.
Bake the pumpkin for about 1 1/2 hours, then remove the lid and bake for another 1/2 hour or until the pumpkin flesh is tender and the cheese is golden brown. Watch carefully as the pumpkin will fall apart if over-cooked.
Using two large spatulas, transfer the pumpkin to a large, warm serving platter or bowl. To serve, use a large serving spoon to scoop out some of the soup into each bowl, then scrape some of the flesh from the pumpkin and add it to the soup. Be careful to not go through the skin, as the liquid will leak out.
Serves 4
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Baked Winter Squash with Maple Nut/Seed Butter
A wonderful compliment to squash is a nut or seed butter. The rich flavors seem meant for each other. You can make your own nut or seed butter, or many types are available in natural foods and specialty stores.
Basic baking directions are given below; the time will vary and the number of people served will depend on the size and variety of squash.
2 organic acorn or other small squash (about 1 1/4 pound each), OR 1
medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
3 tablespoons each dairy butter, nut or seed butter, and maple syrup
Place squash on a baking pan and bake at 350 F. for 3/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until soft. You may want to turn the squash a couple of times for more even cooking. Cut in half and remove seeds, (save to wash and toast for snacks if you like), and strings; if using 1 squash, cut again to make 4 servings. Put back on baking pan cut sides up. In a small saucepan, melt dairy butter, add nut or seed butter and syrup, and stir to mix.
Spoon mixture into squash cavities and coat surfaces. Return to oven for about 10 minutes to heat through before serving.
Serves 4
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See also Jeff’s All About Winter Squash (Organic Recipes)
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Rosalind Creasy is author of Rosalind Creasy’s Recipes From The Garden: 200 Exciting Recipes from the Author of the Complete Book of Edible Landscaping and many others.
Images Credit: Rosalind Creasy
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