Edible Paradise

RECIPES: Basic Roast Winter Squash, Pumpkin Soup, Butternut Squash Gratin, Pumpkin Tortelloni with Browned Butter Sage Sauce, Tips for Selecting Winter Squash

If Dr. Seuss had designed a food, I’m sure it would have been what we know as Winter Squash. From dull and stolid looking to wildly shaped and brightly colored, winter squash run the gamut. Like Dr. Seuss books, winter squash also yield a treat when you open them.

Although not a showstopper in the flavor department, winter squash usually yield a warm color and a mellow flavor-sometimes mild and nutty, sometimes pretty sweet. They also mix well with things, carry flavors, and act as a foil for more pronounced flavors. I also have to admit to liking them just for their brightly colored shells. I leave them out on the counter much as some people leave out flowers, and a large pile of colorful and weirdly shaped pumpkins at the market never fails to cheer me up.

When working with these squash, I do not usually think of explosions of flavor. Rather, I think of depth and subtlety, and I choose garnishes to either complement that, or I use something that will act as a counterpoint. For example, for a puree of Kabocha squash, which I feel has a fairly distinct nutty flavor, I might add chestnuts, which act as a complement. For a pumpkin soup, which could be quite mild, I might use ginger, sherry, and a frizzle of fried leeks, or curry powder and a scattering of chopped cashews to contrast the mildness of the pumpkin. I also choose cooking methods based on the squash and what I want from it.

Roasting or baking tends to bring out the sweetness of the squash, while wet methods of cooking such as steaming or stewing bring out the more pronounced “squash” ness, the slightly bitter flavors and the vegetable quality to the taste, what I would refer to as “top notes”, versus the fuller, rich, round “bottom notes” that come with roasting. Some squash, such as the Kabocha squash are fairly dry, and wet methods work well with them.

Wet squash like Spaghetti benefit most from dry cooking methods at first to develop their flavor to the fullest. Even when making soups, where the squash is cooked in the pan in liquid, you can still roast some of the squash before adding it to the pan. I frequently hear people say they find pumpkin soup to be bland, or even a pumpkin pie to taste “flat.” To this I say: roast the squash first to add depth to the flavor.

Winter squash is sturdy enough to be sautéed as well, and if you it cut small enough it will cook fast enough to retain its shape. I like to dice it finely and add it into a risotto. If I add it at the beginning of the dish, it will start to melt and add body and flavor. Sometimes I dunk it into the boiling stock I am using for the risotto just long enough to soften it a bit, and then I throw it into the dish just as I add the last addition of stock. I have also sautéed it in butter separately and tossed it over the risotto at the end, drizzling a little toasted pumpkinseed oil over the plate. (If you have not tried this oil, it is amazingly deep flavored oil that adds a rich nutty flavor wherever it goes. Store it in the refrigerator once opened.)

Some squashes lend themselves to being microwaved better than others, and you will have to play with your food to find out which is which. If you are pressed for time, you could cook your squash most of the way through and then finish it in the oven to develop flavor. There are recipes that involve cooking the entire squash at once, stuffed or not, and some that produce a pumpkin soup in the shell. The one I grew up with was chunks of banana squash baked with butter and brown sugar mounded over, and then the resulting juices in the pan were used to baste.

About That Skin...

The shells of winter squash vary from almost knife proof to edible. As to a rule of thumb to follow, I don’t have one. In my house they all get peeled because that’s the way the kids will eat them.

The Japanese squash, Kabocha (a Japanese word that means 'pumpkin' or 'winter squash') and Green and Orange Hokkaido have peels that can be eaten. A traditional method is to use a swivel peeler to take away large strips, leaving a little of the shell for color interest. This squash is traditionally simmered in a little sake, sugar and soy to make a glaze for it. Delicata, Sweet Dumpling, and Acorn are squash that are reputed to have edible skins.

Save Those Seeds

The larger seeds from the big squash and pumpkins are quite edible. I like to roast them, but they can be dried and eaten raw as well. Scrape them out of the squash and into a colander. Run water over them, loosening the clinging fibers and rinsing them away. Allow to dry a couple days for eating raw, or as soon as they are reasonably dry, toss with a little oil, salt and pepper and garlic powder, and roast at 350°F  until golden and crunchy. Pumpkin seed are high in essential fatty acids are 29% protein.

Nutritionally, pumpkins are an excellent source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, and potassium.

So when you at are the farmers market next time and you see a pile of winter squash, think some Seuss-ical thoughts, crack a smile, and grab yourself a squash.

TIPS FOR SELECTING WINTER SQUASH

1. When choosing your squash, look for ones that seem heavy for their size.
2. Pick ones that are rock hard. Look for squash with deep, lively color to them.
3. If the squash is really shiny, there is a good chance it was waxed (you won’t see that at the farmers markets), and besides the nasty taste from the wax, you can’t tell the true quality of the squash. Bright colors are pretty, but the ones that have dulled to a matte finish will be a little older and have had time for the sugars to develop a deeper flavor. The beta-carotene content will have increased as well, yielding more vitamin A. If the squash has a greenish cast to the lighter colors, it is not mature. If it grew on the ground, the pale spot should be yellow or orange rather than green.
4. Check to see the stem is present. If not, the squash could be subject to rapid deterioration. The stem should be dry for mature squash.
5. Squash from colder areas grow more slowly, and the flavor has more time to develop. Seek out these cold area specimens.
6. If buying a chunk of squash cut from a large one, check to see the flesh is tight grained and just moist, not desiccated and grainy.
7. When shopping at the farmers market, get your squash last, or take it to the car right away. This saves your back, and other produce that might get caught under the squash.