A pumpkin and winter squash fest!
Think of
Halloween and what comes to mind? Pumpkins of course! But pumpkins
and other winter squash like Pattypan, European winter (potiron),
spaghetti, Acorn and Butternut squashes should be front and center
on our fall menus, from appetizers, to entrées, to desserts!
Enjoy them all in soups, risotto, gratins, pies, cakes, and
don’t forget to toast the seeds!
Delicata, Sweet Dumpling, Ambercup, Orangetti, and
Stripetti… Four new squashes to discover!
Delicata: an oval-shaped, cream-coloured squash
with green markings. The Delicata’s tender flesh has a
delicious fresh corn flavour. Cut in two, place flesh-down in a pan
or dish and oven-bake at 190º C (375º F) for 30
minutes.
Sweet Dumpling: a round, white squash with green marking. Its orange flesh is thin, firm, sweet and nutty-tasting. It can be eaten raw, grated with vinaigrette, cooked and puréed, or used to make soups, cakes, pies and even jams!
Ambercup squash: a cross between the Golden Hubbard and the Buttercup. The Ambercup has exceptionally sweet and mild, dark orange flesh that is delicious roasted, served au gratin, or puréed. It is ideal in desserts as well.
Orangetti and Stripetti: varieties of spaghetti squash, their flesh separates into pasta-like strands when scraped out of the cooked shell. You can tell one from the other by their colour; the Orangetti is a speckled orange while the Stripetti is yellow with green markings.
To cook spaghetti-type squashes, cut them in two, remove seeds,
prick the skin with a fork and baste with oil. Cook in a 180º
C (350º F) oven for 45 to 60 minutes. To cook in a micro-wave
oven, place seeded halves in a bowl, cover with perforated plastic
film and cook for 10 minutes. Using a fork, scrape out strands and
serve.
Toasted squash seeds: a crunchy and nutritious snack!
Remove and rinse seeds, remove filaments and dry on paper towels.
Spread seeds out on a cookie sheet and let air-dry overnight. Cook
in a 350° F (180° C) oven until the seeds are golden. You
can of course add olive oil, salt, Tamari sauce…or any other
flavouring you like!
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Use your squash as a soup tureen!
Pumpkin, butternut, or any other round squash will do…
Choose a squash that is large enough to hold the number of portions
you will be serving. Cut the top off the squash and set aside to
use as a cover. Scoop out the flesh and seeds with a spoon. Wash
the hollowed out shell thoroughly, pour in the soup, cover with the
top, and voilà! It’s ready to serve.
Another nice touch is to select small pumpkins or squashes to use
as individual soup bowls or to serve cheese fondue.
Pumpkin soup tureen
Here are a few recipes we have selected for you that feature winter
squashes: