Getting Squashed: Use These Winter Vegetables for Comfort Food
Special to The Detroit News
Close up of squash tart.
Michael knows just where to find me once he realizes I’m missing.
My husband doesn’t need to worry, because I’m only a few booths behind, photographing a table of vegetables. On the way here, he prepares for me to vanish, since it happens on all of our trips to the farmers market.
I can’t help it if I get swept away, especially this time of year. Fall vegetables are so vibrant, with such interesting shapes, it compels me to capture their gorgeous autumn images.
If it’s been a while since you went to a farmers market, the vendor tables in November, formerly brimming with summer produce, are different. In the place of berries, stone fruits and tomatoes, are amazing autumnal displays that range in colors of dark green, yellow, burnt orange, and red. You’ll find piles of lush kale, plenty of root vegetables, and stalks of Brussels sprouts. What I’m here for today is just beyond the broccoli in the bushels full of winter squash.
Assortment of Winter Squash
Not to be confused with summer squash, also part of the Cucurbita genus, winter squash ripens later on in the fall, and are long roasting, instead of quick cooking. They take three or more months to mature, and are ready once their rinds toughen and seeds mature. They can be asymmetrical, and come in many different sizes and colors. Their flesh is versatile, which is a handy attribute for a chef. It makes it possible to swap certain types for another in different recipes.
In addition to their versatility, winter squash is high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds. They are a good source of folate, potassium, carotenoids, beta carotenes, and vitamins A, C, and B6. Loaded with fiber, they’re important for digestive health, and help keep blood sugar in balance. The harvest of winter squash is done later in the fall, typically before the first frost. Beyond then, they remain edible and sweet, but will have a shorter shelf life.
You can store winter squash for several months, depending on the type. Acorn, delicata and spaghetti squash are the most perishable, and will keep for 1 to 2 months. Others, like the butternut, Hubbard, buttercup and the turban types, can last anywhere between 3 to 6 months, as long as you cure them. Curing, or hardening off, releases the excess water, which concentrates the sugars and makes the squash sweeter. It also hardens their skins and prevents early rot.
You can cure most varieties, with the exception of acorn squash, as long as the exteriors are blemish free. Simple to do, just remove any excess dirt with a dry towel, then place them in a dry, sunny spot for around seven to 14 days. Once they harden up, they’re durable enough to survive the long winter months in a cool spot without needing refrigeration.
When shopping for winter squash, select those with dry, cracked and hard stems. Their exteriors should have a dull surface that is difficult to puncture with your fingernail. Shiny skins on a squash indicate the fruit is immature, and too early to pick. Unlike their summer cousins, you need to cook them before you can eat them. The upside is that they are adaptable enough to be made with either sweet or savory profiles.
I like to roast acorn and delicata squash with baby carrots and sweet potatoes using a spice mixture of ancho chili, jalapeno and honey. It has a sweet heat kick that partners beautifully with roast pork tenderloin, a fall favorite of Michael’s. He also loves when I use the strands of spaghetti squash like a pasta. I top it with a good marinara, shaved Parmesan and a sprig of basil, for a satisfying dish that is low carb or gluten free.
Buttercup squash has a creamy orange flesh that tends to be much sweeter than other varieties. I use it to make a sweet souffle, with a candied pecan topping, which qualifies as Thanksgiving dessert for most people. Butternut squash also makes a beautiful holiday appetizer, as a savory puff pastry tart. I place thin rounds from the neck of the squash, toasted walnuts, blue cheese and honey on the dough to bake it. I top it with some arugula for an impressive looking appetizer that’s easy to cut and serve.
I like to roast the squash seeds like pumpkin seeds, in a variety of seasonings. After I wash them off in a colander and let them dry, I coat them with a little oil and the seasonings du jour. They bake on a low temperature until they’re dry and brown. Sometimes I make brown sugar and cinnamon for a sweet version, or as a spicier style, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika. They’re crunchy and totally addictive, and make a healthy snack that’s portable.
When Michael finally spots me, he comes over and lets me know he’s ready to go. I share my photos with the farmer, and we pay for our squash. We laugh at each other, trying to juggle them between our arms on the way out of the market. Michael’s been patient, which I appreciate, but he also knows that it’s in his best interest to play along. After all, he is the one that will reap the benefits from today’s excursion, for the next several chilly months to come.
Spice Roasted Squash with Carrots
1 pound baby carrots, trimmed and scrubbed
1 Delicata squash, cut into ½ inch rings and seeded
1 acorn squash, seeded and cut into ½ inch wedges
1 pound baby yams, halved
4 to 6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and small diced
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ teaspoon ancho chile powder
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons butter, sliced
3 teaspoons of fresh lime juice
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Coat a large roasting pan with nonstick spray. In the pan, mix together the baby carrots, Delicata rings, acorn wedges, yams, garlic slices and jalapeno.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, honey, olive oil, chile powder, cumin and kosher salt. Pour mixture over the vegetables and toss to coat. Scatter the butter pads over the vegetables and cover tightly with foil. Roast covered until tender about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and toss the vegetables again. Roast another 10 minutes until lightly brown. Drizzle with lime juice before serving.
Serves 6 to 8
Adapted from epicurious.com
Spaghetti Squash Marinara
1 spaghetti squash, whole
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 large fresh oregano sprigs
¼ cup water
2 to 3 cups of warm homemade marinara, or jarred, such as Rao’s
¼ cup shaved Parmesan
Fresh basil leaves
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the squash in half vertically down the middle, into two equal halves. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the inside of both halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tuck the oregano inside each half, and place them cut side down onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Add ¼ cup of water to the tray, and bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes, adding more water if needed.
When cool enough to handle, use the prongs of a fork to carefully pull the spaghetti strands away from the skin and onto plates. Top each serving with marinara and Parmesan. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.
Serves 4-6
Squash Souffle with Pecan Topping
FOR THE SQUASH:
6 to 7 pounds hard squash, such as butternut, buttercup, pumpkin or Hubbard, halved and seeded
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Fresh ground pepper
1½ sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 cup of sugar
1 ½ cups milk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 eggs
FOR THE TOPPING:
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
½ cup flour
½ stick unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the squash in half down the middle. Take out the seeds, and scrape away any excess fibers from the insides. Brush two tablespoons of the olive oil onto the cut surfaces of the squash, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the squash, cut side down, onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Bake until fork tender, up to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash.
When cool enough to handle, use a spoon to extract the flesh from the skins, and place it in a large bowl or standing mixer. Add the butter, sugar, milk, salt and vanilla on medium high speed until ingredients are smooth and integrated. Put in the eggs, one at a time, until mixed thoroughly. Spread evenly into a greased 9-by-13 glass dish.
In another bowl, mix together the brown sugar, pecans, flour and butter, until all ingredients feel wet. Sprinkle the topping over the mashed squash, covering it completely. Bake until hot and bubbling, between 30 to 40 minutes.
12 servings.
Butternut Squash Tart With Walnuts, Blue Cheese and Arugula
12 ⅛-inch-thick rounds of peeled butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 to 10 fresh sage leaves, divided
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
½ cup crumbled blue cheese, divided
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
¼ cup honey
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the neck from the gourd. Trim off the stem, and peel. Carefully cut the squash into ⅛-inch thin rounds, and spread them in a single layer onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Brush the squash rounds with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Top with half of the squash leaves and roast until just softened, around 10 minutes. Cool slightly.
Roll out the pastry dough to enlarge the rectangle, sprinkling the surface with flour if the dough begins to stick. Move the dough to a parchment lined sheet tray, and make a few small slats with a knife to vent the bottom. Brush the dough with the egg wash, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Chop the remaining sage leaves and spread them across the dough. Crumble ¼ cup of the blue cheese over them. With some overlap, lay down the squash rounds, leaving an even border around the edges. Crumble the remaining blue cheese and the walnuts, on top of the squash. Drizzle honey over the surface of the tart, and bake until squash is tender and dough is puffed and browned, around 20 to 30 minutes.
9 to 12 servings
Toasted Squash Seeds
3 cups seeds, cleaned and dried
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Seasonings, such as chili powder, curry, cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. In a bowl, drizzle the oil over the seeds to coat completely. Sprinkle with your choice of seasonings along with the salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer onto the tray. Bake until golden and crisp, stirring occasionally, around 45 minutes, until dry and toasted. Cool and enjoy.
Makes 3 cups
This story originally appeared in The Detroit News in November 2022.