When Winter Rears its Head....

I say EAT SQUASH!

In my neck of the woods, winter has finally reared its white cold head, leaving behind prairie grass covered in diamonds and a white dusting of snow lightly covering barn roofs and streets. For me it wasn’t bad, really rather a nice break. No power outages like last year, no scrambling for propane or jugs of water. This storm gave me the opportunity to work on recipes and think about the spring to come.

Winter is a fine time to take advantage of all the different varieties of squash available like Spaghetti, Butternut, and when you can find it - Hubbard. And of course all the other squash. What a treat!

Spaghetti Squash is by far one of my most favorite of the cultivar. My favorite way to prepare it is not an elaborate replacement for real spaghetti but simply roasted with a really nice olive oil and a tiny bit of salt and pepper. The other night I served it with brown rice that was laced with nuts. Next to a big salad, it was a wonderful meal.

I’ve been told that many people will avoid squash because they’re not comfortable with preparing it. I’ll share with you how I prepare it. It’s simple and easy and leaves no excuses not to indulge yourself!

This preparation method works for any squash including Hubbard and Butternut.
Here are directions for Spaghetti Squash:

• Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.
• (First of all, let’s recognize it’s an awkward shape to work with so make sure your cutting board is stable and securely placed.)
• Start by carefully cutting both ends off.
• Place the cut squash up right so it can stand on its own on the cut you’ve made.
• Carefully, cut it in half.
• Scoop out the seeds. I scoop the seeds out with an ice cream scoop and throw them in the compost pile. (I once had the best spaghetti squash growing out of my compost pile!)
• Now place the squash skin side down in a baking dish that will fit both sides. Drizzle each side lightly with a nice olive oil, and give a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.
• Pour enough water to cover about ¼ inch of the bottom of the baking dish.
• Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Be careful when removing the foil because steam will have built up.
• Let the squash cool slightly then scoop out the meat and serve.
  

A variety of different squashes become available late fall at the farmers market. That’s a great opportunity to try some heirloom varieties. You will be surprised at the uniqueness in flavor and the unique history as well. Squash preserves over winter so I recommend buying six or seven squashes in the fall and then find a cold place in your garage to store them. A card board box lined with newspaper works great for storing squash over winter and will allow you to have a wide variety to choose from throughout winter.
Enjoy!