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
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