Squash
Types: Delicata
Long and thin. Tan or yellow coloured with green stripes. Sweetest of the squash, these are a family favourite at our house. No need for brown sugar or maple syrup on these. Edible skin to boot!
Carnival
Acorn shaped with colourful with patches aflecks of dark green, light green, orange, and yellow. A cross between acorn and delicata squash. Sweeter and less stringy textured than acorn squash and more versatile than delicata. My kids ask to eat this one for supper.
Acorn
Also called Pepper squash, they are dark green when first picked and slowly get more orange in storage. Acorn squash have yellow-orange flesh, and a somewhat dry texture. Pairs well with savoury or sweet flavours.
Spaghetti
Oblong yellow or orange squash. The flesh is bright yellow. When cooked, the mild flavoured flesh is comprised of moist strands that resemble spaghetti.
Kabocha
Looks like a buttercup squash without the cup! We grow the orange skinned ones, but they come in many other colours including green, grey and pink. Smooth, moist, tender flesh that is sweet, deep orange, and excellent for baking, mashing, and pies. Also a stellar soup squash.
Buttercup
A round, flattend dark green squash with a light green 'cup' on the blossom end. Creamy, firm textured, deep orange flesh with rich, sweet flavour. Great for baking, soup and pies. Similar to Kabocha.
Butternut
The best known squash. Tan coloured with an elongated pear shape, seeds are all in the bulbous part of the squash. Smooth bright orange flesh. Can be paired with savoury or sweet flavours. Most culinarily versatile squash. Skin is tender enought to eat, so no need for peeling.
Storage: On the counter.
Delicata, Carnival: best before New Years
Kabocha: 3-6+ months
Acorn, Spaghetti: February-March
Buttercup: April
Butternut: up to a year for larger squash
Preserve: Cook until soft, scoop flesh out of skin, freeze in portion size appropriate to your household.
Tips: All squash seeds are edible and can be roasted like pumpkin seeds. Squash is great in soups and baking. It can be used in place of sweet potato or pumpkin in your recipes.
Stuffed squash
Ingredients
2-3 Carnival or Acorn squash, cut in half with seeds scooped out.
1 cup uncooked quinoa (or rice)
2 cups water
Glug of oil (we use olive, but you could use canola, sunflower, avocado etc.)
1 cup minced onions
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup carrots, diced small
0.75 cup celery, diced small
1 cup red pepper, diced small
1.5 cups frozen corn kernals
Grated cheese to taste, or leave it out for a vegan recipe.
*Note* The particular veggies you add aren't too important. I always like to include the pepper, but if I don't have celery, I might add celery seeds instead. I also like to add mushrooms.
Preheat oven to 350° F
Put the squash on the pan cut side down. Bake until soft, probably aroun 30 min. If they are done before the rest of the recipe, you can turn off the oven and let them stay warm in the oven
Put the quinoa and 2 cups of water in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes. When the quinoa is done, you can leave it in the pot until you are ready to mix it with the cooked veg.
Heat up a large pan. Add glug of oil. When hot saute onions until translucent. Add garlic. Saute for 1 more minute. Add spices and veggies. Cover and cook until soft.
Mix the veggies and quinoa together, then stuff your squash. Top with grated cheese if you like.
This serves our family of 4 with leftovers.
