Don’t Quash That Squash!
By Susan Stewart
As the winter season careers toward a gastronomic crescendo, our tables from Nipomo to San Miguel have been heavy with fruited pies, traditional tamales, savory stuffings, spicy cookies, roasted fowl, cheesy casseroles, and the inevitable fruitcake. So where in this cacophony of culinary bounty does the humble squash fit in? Anywhere it wants is my humble opinion.
Elevating this gorgeous gourd from its questionable place on the “ick” list of foods children are most likely to leave on their plates, squash deserves a special spot on our winter menus, both festive and otherwise. Beginning with the first blustery days in October, when the most famous of squashes, the pumpkin, announces the end of summer for sure, squash satisfies appetites in a surprising number of ways.
Did you know, for instance, that pumpkin can be used for more than just pies? Or that the bright orange flesh of acorn squash makes a spicy and tempting soufflé? Add some anise, cardamom, and lemon to the dense and hearty flesh of a butternut squash and turn supper into a winterfeast. The sweet and tender chayote, mashed with sautéed onions and grated Parmesan can be stuffed back into its own shell for a fabulous side dish or lunch entrée. One of the more whimsical ideas I found was a recipe for pumpkin soup that comes to the table in its own shell-tureen, ready to ladle into waiting bowls.
There’s Asian style acorn squash rings with ginger, soy sauce and honey; penne pasta tossed with thyme-flavored Hubbard squash; a spicy squash and black bean stew; even squash pancakes with nutmeg and cinnamon. For the slightly more ambitious cook, there’s tortelloni di zucca – tender pockets of pasta filled with butternut squash and topped with a cream and sage sauce. (Buona Tavola’s Antonio Varia says his version of this dish is one of the most enduringly popular items on his menu.)
If you’re waging war with pasta, lay down your weapons and your will power, and make peace with the spaghetti squash—nature’s gift to the incorrigible fork twirler. Just pierce this large, canary yellow winter squash with a fork and bake or steam it whole until tender. Then halve it, remove the seeds and fibers, sprinkle the stringy surface with your favorite Italian herbs, garlic, and Romano cheese, and dig in. A fork will twist out the long strands of flesh and you can savor the aesthetic delights of pasta without the fat and carbs of the egg and flour variety.
Summer squash is equally versatile. And because this is California, the moist and tender zucchini, crookneck and pattypan are available year round for grating raw into salads (unbeatable for texture and nutritional value); sautéing for omelettes; currying, stewing, or baking en casserole.
All squashes are gourds: fleshy vegetables with seeds on the inside and protective rinds outside. Time-Life’s “Vegetables” says that in summer varieties, the rinds and seeds are tender and edible because the squashes are harvested when they are immature. Winter squashes like Hubbard, acorn, pumpkin, and butternut have tough seeds and hard shells. Nutritionally, all squashes are high in fiber and plentiful in vitamins and minerals. And the best thing about them is their limitless versatility from the ground to the plate.
Take the acorn squash for example. Bake it and brush it with butter and brown sugar or fancy it up with pure maple syrup, imported palm sugar, candied apricots or macadamia nuts. The humble squash in all its splendid variety is a comforting and nourishing gift from the winter garden.
Susan Stewart has been writing about the history, people, events and issues that affect San Luis Obispo County for 15 years. She is grateful to the people she interviews who have taught her about everything from the cultivation of exotic mushrooms to the evolution of solar energy.
