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Category: Winter Squash

  • Pie Pumpkins

    Before I worked at Red Wagon I was a staunch believer that pumpkin pie made from ‘real’ pumpkins, not in a can, were watery and gross. If I made a ‘pumpkin’ pie I would make it from a winter squash, not a pie pumpkin. I felt that way until I met this gorgeous thing.

    pie pumpkin

    pie pumpkin

    I couldn’t decide what photo I liked better so I used both. Pretty huh? This variety of pumpkin is called Winter Luxury. It wins pumpkin pie contests all the time. It is beautiful and delicious.

    We grow two varieties of pie pumpkins. Winter Luxury and another one call New England Pie. The New England Pie Pumpkin is delicious too, but this is my favorite.

    Both varieties will keep for at least a few weeks on your counter or in your garage. Don’t refrigerate them or they will start to rot.

    I am going to leave this post incomplete and add pumpkin recipes later. I just wanted to let you know you don’t have to use your pumpkin up this week, that it will be fine for a while.

    My daughter is getting married on Saturday. I have salads and cakes to make for that, and I have to make the chili for the end of year CSA party on Sunday. So, I am up to my eyeballs in cooking projects.

    I hope you all can make the party! It’s this Sunday starting at 3pm.

  • Roasted Delicata Squash Salad

    Delicata are one of a few winter squash that you don’t need to peel. The flesh and peel are firm with a nutty flavor. I like to roast them in smaller pieces to get more caramelized areas, but you can also just cut it in half and roast it like you would an acorn squash. Delicatas are nice stuffed with grains or vegetables and roasted, too.

    I want to show you one of my favorite winter salads. This is a good way to use up anything you have in your refrigerator.

    Delicata squash work really well with this salad because the flesh is so firm when it is cooked and can hold up to being tossed with vinaigrette and mixed with other ingredients.

    Cut up your squash, removing the seeds and stringy pulp.  Drizzle the slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast in a hot 400˚F oven.
    Sliced Delicata

    Tossed with Oil
    Roast the bejeezes out of it, about 40 minutes. You want these really done, almost dry.

    Crisp Roasted
    Put the cooked squash in a bowl and chop up any vegetables that you have on hand. Make sure you add some sort of onion and some crunchy stuff like celery or peppers. The contrast of soft and crunchy is nice. I wish I had some hard cooked eggs to add here.
    Add to Salad

    I drizzled this with a Dijon vinaigrette but any dressing will do. Mine was 2 teaspoons Dijon, 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. I tossed it all and served it on some lettuce. This is also great on grains or rice. The leftovers are so good too. The flavors meld so make lots. You will want more than one meal out of this.
    Finished Salad

  • Spaghetti Squash

    I hear some people say that they are intimidated by cutting winter squash in half in order to bake them. I have read that you can microwave winter squash for 5 to 10 minutes, making them easier to cut, then proceed with baking. I had never tried that, so I did.

    I poked some holes in the spaghetti squash so it wouldn’t blow up in the microwave.
    Spaghetti Squash

    I microwaved it for a total of 10 minutes. After 5 minutes I turned it over and cooked it another 5 minutes. This is what it looked like after 10 minutes of microwaving. You can see how it is partially cooked, but very raw in the middle. While I was microwaving it I preheated the oven to 400°F. After doing this I am positive it will work with any winter squash.
    Scooping Seeds

    I scooped out the seeds and added some onions, herbs, salt and pepper. I rubbed all that with olive oil and put it in the 400°F oven for about 35 minutes.

    Spaghetti squash are the ultimate in stringy squash. To optimize the stringy ‘spaghettiness’ of the squash you want to dry it out a bit so bake it uncovered, cut side up the whole cooking time.

    See the meat of the squash pulling away from the squash shell? That is how you know it’s done.
    Baked Till Done

    Discard the herbs if you used them and use a fork to fluff up the squash to make it look like spaghetti. Don’t stir it or smash it. Try to keep it fluffed up.
    Making the Spaghetti

    My very favorite thing to do with spaghetti squash is to cut up one of my last very ripe tomatoes and add a little olive oil, parsley and Parmesan cheese. This dish tells me that summer is well and truly over. What a great goodbye.
    Dressed with Tomatoes

  • Butternut Squash Ravioli

    Yield: about 30 triangle ravioli

    I am calling them butternut squash ravioli but you can use any squash you like to make these.

    For the filling:

    • 1 cup cooked squash (I roasted mine)
    • 1 shallot, chopped
    • sage leaves, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1 or 2 ounces goat cheese

    For the ravioli:

    • won ton wrappers
    • 1-2 egg whites

    Heat the butter in a skillet. Add the shallot until it is softened, then add the sage, cooked squash and goat cheese. Cook until it is all really well incorporated.

    Lay won ton wrappers out on your work surface and paint egg white around the edges of the wrappers. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of squash filling on the won ton wrapper. You can either put another wrapper on top and seal, or fold in a triangle and seal. The egg white will seal the wrapper to itself.
    Filling Wonton Wrappers

    I made one ravioli with one wrapper on top of another and the rest I folded in a triangle. I think the triangle is easier and a better size to eat.

    You can freeze the ravioli at this point and pull out what you need later. I like to use these on salads with kale or spinach, or in soups like minestrone. You can also use them for a really rich starter. They only need to be boiled for 2 or 3 minutes so be careful not to overcook them.

    Boil as many as you need. While they are boiling, brown some butter and more sage in a pan. When they are cooked, drain and quickly saute the ravioli in the butter and sage. You don’t need to cook them any more, just coat the ravioli with the butter and sage and drain them a little before serving.
    Frying Ravioli

    You can refrigerate the rest of the squash for up to a week or freeze it for two or three months.
    Roasted Butternut Squash