Pantry: Nutritious, delicious winter squash

In a few days, Halloween jack-o’-lanterns will begin to collapse into the ground or, if you happen to be particularly conscientious, into the compost. For many, this is the extent of their experience with winter squash, except, perhaps, for pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. That someone else makes.

Jack-o’-lantern pumpkins are not great for cooking, as they have been bred over the years for their large cavity and thin layer of flesh, which makes them easy to carve. Small ones can work well as individual containers, but other winter squashes have better flavor and denser flesh.

Winter squashes are not only delicious, they are also packed full of nutrients and deeply satisfying. A cup of butternut squash, for example, has 63 calories, nearly half of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C and nearly 300 percent of vitamin A, along with iron, vitamin B-6, magnesium and calcium.

Small ones can be baked whole and filled with risotto or polenta for individual servings. A large winter squash - and some are enormous - can be cut into manageable chunks, roasted or steamed and then frozen in 1-pound packages to be used whenever inspiration hits you. When you have winter squash puree on hand, it is easy to make soups, sauces, risotto, ravioli and more.

For today’s recipes, I recommend using a butternut variety, as their texture is dense and smooth and they hold up well to lengthy cooking. You’ll find many varieties of butternut squash, some with the name and some without. The best way to know exactly what you are purchasing is to shop at your local farmers market and ask the farmer about the varieties he or she offers.

Nancy Skall of Middleton Farm in Healdsburg currently has a very interesting variety, Tromboncino, with a long curving neck and beautiful red flesh. I have not yet experimented with it but it is on my to-do list for November, so stay tuned.

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This versatile sauce is easy to make and foolproof if you follow the instructions. It is important to cook the onion long enough so that its sugar is released and begins to caramelize; it contributes a great depth of flavor. Vegetarians can use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Winter Squash Sauce

Makes about 2 ½ cups

3 tablespoons clarified butter

1 yellow onion, cut into small dice

- Kosher salt

1 cup winter squash puree (see Note below)

2 teaspoons minced fresh sage

1½ cups homemade chicken stock

- Black pepper in a mill

Put the butter into a medium saute pan set over medium heat and, when it is melted, add the onion. Stir to coat it thoroughly in butter and season with a little salt. Reduce the heat to low and cook gently, stirring now and then, until the onions are very soft and beginning to caramelize, about 1 hour. Do not let them brown.

Stir in the winter squash puree and the sage.

Pour in the stock, stirring all the while with a whisk.

Taste, correct for salt and season with several generous turns of black pepper.

Note: To cook winter squash, use a chef’s knife or heavy cleaver to cut it into pieces, scrape out the seeds and strings and either steam until tender or set on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until tender. Cool slightly and use a large spoon to remove the flesh. Transfer it to a bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork. Alternately, you can press it through a potato ricer or pass it through a food mill.

Variations:

Add 1 teaspoon chipotle powder to the mixture when you add the winter squash. Omit the sage.

Caramelize the onions in bacon fat instead of butter.

Serving suggestions:

To use as a sauce for cheese ravioli, prepare homemade or commercial ravioli, tip them into a wide, shallow serving bowl and pour the sauce over them. Serve immediately.

To serve with shell beans, cook 8 ounces cannellini, marrowfat or other white shell bean in water until tender. Drain, stir the beans into the hot winter squash sauce, cover and let rest in the sauce for 30 minutes. Reheat, ladle into soup plates, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

For a simple soup, slice a small bunch of Lacinato kale into crosswise strips, sauté until tender in a little olive oil, season with salt and divide among individual soup plates. Ladle the sauce on top and serve right away.

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If you are already thinking about Thanksgiving, toss this voluptuous gratin into the mix, as it is both easy and delicious.

Winter Squash & Potato Gratin

Serves 6 to 8

3 pounds sturdy winter squash, seeds and strings removed

3 russet potatoes, peeled

1 cup heavy cream

- Whole nutmeg

3 tablespoons roasted garlic puree (see Note below)

1 small sage sprig

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, toasted

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

4 ounces (1 cup) Vella Mezo Seco, Bellwether Carmody, St. George, or similar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Use a very sharp knife to peel the winter squash. Use a mandoline or very sharp utility knife to cut the squash into very thin slices; set aside. Cut the potatoes into thin slices. Put the potatoes into a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside.

Pour the cream into a saucepan, set over medium heat, add several gratings of nutmeg and stir in the garlic puree. Remove from the heat the moment the cream boils, season with salt and pepper, add sage sprigs, cover, and set aside.

Drain the potatoes and tip them out onto a clean tea towel; pat them dry, shaking off as much water as possible.

Butter the inside of a 3-quart baking dish or soufflé dish. Sprinkle about a quarter cup of the bread crumbs over the bottom of the dish.

Tile potatoes on top of the bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper, top with a layer of tiled squash, add a little cheese, season with salt and pepper and continue until all the potatoes, squash and cheese have been used.

Strain the cream into the dish, spread the remaining bread crumbs on top and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 ¼ hours, until the squash and potatoes are tender. Remove the aluminum foil and cook 15 minutes more.

Remove from the oven, cover and let rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Note: To make roasted garlic puree, put 1 or 2 garlic bulbs into a small oven-proof container, add 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 cup water, cover tightly, and roast until the garlic is very soft, about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the age of the garlic. Remove from the oven, set the garlic in a small dish, and let cool to room temperature. To remove the pulp, carefully separate the cloves from their root, set them on a clean work surface and press out the pulp with the heel of your hand. Scoop up the pulp, put it into a small bowl, and mash with a fork until smooth and creamy. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 17 books to date, including “Vinaigrettes and Other Dressings.” You’ll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. Email Jordan at michele@saladdresser.com