October 18, 2007

Recipe News: Simple recipes for squash season

With the winter squash season peaking right now, it's time to stock up at greenmarkets and specialty stores. Beyond the supermarket's butternut lies a colorful world of hard-skinned gourds with names like hubbard, kabocha, delicata and and buttercup. These beauties will keep for a couple of weeks on your counter and can be pureed into soups, roasted, stuffed, sauteed and whipped with butter to a mashed potato-like richness. In a pie, their sunny golden flesh can replace the more typical pumpkin. As a base for cookies, muffins and cakes, squash lends vitamins and other nutrients in addition to a fruity sweetness. Though the varieties are many (the greenmarkets carry more than 25, says spokesperson Gabrielle Langholtz), choosing winter squash isn't as tricky as picking out produce in the summer. "Just look for winter squash that are hard as a rock," says chef instructor Russell Moss at the Art Institute of New York City. "You don't want any wrinkles on it." Cooking winter squash couldn't be easier. Simply cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and place skin side up in a roasting pan. Pour a little water in or oil the pan – this helps prevent sticking. Then bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the squash is soft when you prick it with a fork.

Includes recipes for:

Squash-Stuffed Shells

Winter Squash Salad with Goat Cheese "Truffles"

Full article here.