Conference turris::cooks

			SQUASH IDEAS

Any winter (hard-shelled) squash can be baked or steamed, mashed, seasoned
with either savory (salt, pepper, etc) or sweet (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice)
spices and butter and served.  You can also use any cooked, mashed
squash as a substitute for pumpkin in a pumpkin pie recipe and get some
lovely results.  You can also make a nice sturdy souffle:

		squash souffle (or sweet potato, or pumpkin or...)

	2 cups cooked, mashed squash of choice
	1 - 2 teaspoons cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt
	1/3 to 1/2 cup soft margarine (or butter)
	1/4 cup sugar (some people use more - up to 1/2 cup)
	5 extra-large eggs at room temperature, separated    


	mix squash (cooled to room temp.), seasonings, margarine and
	sugar together and set aside.

	beat egg yolks until frothy and yellow, mix into squash.
  
        WITH CLEAN BEATERS:

	beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (not too much or they
	will begin to deflate).

	Stir a large spoonful of the egg whites into the squash mixture
	to "lighten" the mix.  Fold the rest of the egg whites into
	the squash just until mixed (some white streaks may still
	show)...the usual instructions for a souffle.

	spoon mixture into a well buttered souffle dish and bake in
	a pre-heated 350 degree oven until puffy and browned on top
	and not "jiggly" when shaken.  	I bake for approx 45 minutes
	in my oven, but it is not at a reliable temperature so you
	may want to go more or less. Dust the surface with powdered
	sugar or cinnamon sugar, or just serve as is.

	This souffle works real well with Thanksgiving dinner as
	a different way to serve squash, pumpkin, or even mashed
	sweet potatoes....A tradition in my house.

Unless I'm baking I cook by the "wing it method" so you'll have to use your 
judgement with the quantities...

MY MOM'S WAY TO GET US TO EAT BUTTERNAUT SQUASH:

Steam it, drain it, mash it with a potato masher, mix in some butter, cinnamon,
nutmeg, and about an ounce of good brandy. 

ACORN SQUASH:

Cut an acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Mix some applesauce or
sliced apples with some cinnamon, brown sugar (or honey or maple syrup), and a
little butter. Fill the squash halves with the apple mix. Bake at 350 for about
an hour or until the squash is tender. You can wrap these in foil or but them
in a covered baking dish to speed up the cooking. You just eat it out of the
shell. No dish ot wash!

Sometimes I just put a little orange juice and fresh grated ginger or some
cloves in each half of an acorn squash and bake it for an hour. 

Patti

re: < Note 761.4 by STAR::OBERLIN >


There is a butternut squash and leek soup recipe in this month's Food and Wine
magazine. I'll enter it (and test it!) as soon as I can.

Patti         

From The Victory Garden Cookbook 
by Marian Morash 
Alfred A. Knopf, 1982 


        Squash Soup 
        
        This soup can be made without the chestnuts, but
        they add a rich and complex flavor, as well as
        being readily available in winter squash season.  
        
        1/2 pound raw chestnuts
        2 - 2 1/2 pound Butternut squash 
        1 onion
        1 carrot
        1 stalk celery
        2 tbsp. butter
        5 cups chicken stock
        salt
        1/4 tsp. ground ginger (optional) 
        1 1/2 cups light cream
        freshly ground pepper
        
        
        Peel chestnuts.  Peel and seed squash and cut
        into 1/2-inch cubes. Chop onion, carrot, and
        celery, and add to butter melted in a 4-quart
        saucepan.  Stew to wilt but not brown.  Add
        chestuts and squash and stir into vegetables. 
        Add 4 cups chicken stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 
        Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat, and cook for
        30 - 40 minutes or until chestnuts and squash are
        tender.  Stir in ginger if you like. Puree in a
        blender with remaining chicken stock.  Add cream
        and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat
        and serve.  (Makes 8 cups)
        
    
    -mrs o 

Sorry it took so long for me to get this entered. I haven't tried this yet,
but it sounds good. I'll probably make it with vegetable broth and skip the
bacon. 

Patti
-----------------

Butternut Squash and Leek Soup
from Nov. issue of Food and Wine


makes 8 servings

4-1/2 lb butternut squash, halved lengthwise
5 tlb unsalted butter
4 large leeks, chopped
7 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
5 cups chicken stock
1-1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tps black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
2-3 tsp chopped chives
8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake
until tender, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly, Scoop out seeds and discard
them. Scrape sqaush from skin.

2. Meanwhile, while squash is baking, melt butter. Add the leeks and thyme.
Cook until soft and lightly brown, about 40 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs.

3. Stir in stock and squash. Simmer 20 minutes. In a blender or food processor, 
puree in batches until smooth. Pour soup back into pan. Add salt and pepper.

4. To serve, Ladle soup inot bowls. Garnish with 1 tbl sour cream, sprinkle
with 1 tsp chopped chives and some crumbled bacon.

RE: Note 761.4

			AUTUMN SQUASH SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

	1 small acorn squash, cleaned, cut into eights
	1 small butternut squash, cleaned, cut into eights
	1 small sugar pie pumpkin, cleaned, cut into eights
	1 large onion, chopped
	3 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
	1/4 cup butter
	1/4 cup flour
	salt, white pepper to taste
	herbed croutons for garnish

	Other hard-shelled or "winter" squashes can be used
	if you prefer.

INSTRUCTIONS:

	Place pumpkin and the squashes in a large pot with the
	stock and the onion.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat
	and simmer until squashes and pumpkin are tender.
	Remove squashes, pumpkin, and onion from stock.  Scrape
	the pulp from the squashes and pumpkin and add, with
	onion, to food processor bowl (or use blender).  Blend
	until smooth, adding some stock if necessary.

	Melt butter in large pot, stir in flour, and cook several
	minutes over low heat until raw taste of flour is gone
	(five minutes, stirring constantly, should do it).
	SLOWLY add stock, stirring all the time to avoid lumps.
	Add puree.  Cook approx 10 minutes over med/low heat,
	seasoning with salt and white pepper.  Serve hot with
	herbed croutons as garnish.

Herbed croutons may be made by toasting small cubes or rounds
of bread under the broiler until dry and brown.  Melt butter
in a heavy bottomed pan, add herbs of choice (parsley, tarragon,
oregano, sage, dill, etc. in any mixture you fancy) and toss
in croutons, stirring and tossing around to coat with butter and
herbs.

    
    
    	I tryed the recipie in .7 and it turned out great. One thing
    I did though was take out some of the soup before I ran it through
    the blender. This non-pureed soup was as good, or better, than the
    puree'd stuff. Also when pealing the chestnuts I found it went a
    lot easier if you cut the top and bottom off the nut. The rest just
    comes right off.
    
    					Joe
    

Re:.7 Squash Soup
        
I made the squash soup for Thanksgiving--a lot of work, but well-worth
the effort. It was dee-lish! Thought I'd add a hint about chestnuts:        
        
        <Peel chestnuts.>

After 30 minutes and 4 peeled chestnuts, I consulted the Joy of Cooking
about the best way to peel those bad boys. You take a sharp knife and
cut a criss-cross on the flat side of the nut. Then cover with cool 
water and bring to a boil. This really makes peeling the chestnuts a
much simpler job.

Thanks for the recipe, mrs o!

--Ginger        
    
   

re .12

Or, if you get real lazy, check out a gourmet food store.  Peeled chestnuts 
come in jars, ready to go.  Pricey, but definitely the most ut in laziness!

						     
							- JP

      6 pounds acorn or butternut squash, halved lenghwise and seeded
        salt and freshly ground pepper
      4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    1/4 cup maple syrup
    
    1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the squash cut sides down
        on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until squash
        is easily pierced with a fork.  Scoop the flesh into a bowl
        and mash until fairly smooth.  Season to taste with salt and
        pepper.  Keep warm.
    
    2.  In a small saucepan, combine the butter and maple syrup and cook
        over low heat, stirring until the butter is melted and blended
        with syrup, about 2 minutes.
    
    3.  Stir half of the syrup mixture into the squash.  Transfer to
        a shallow serving dish.  Pour the rest of the syrup mixture
        over the top.  Serve hot.
    
    NOTE:  The recipe can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.  Cover and
           refrigerate.  Reheat in a 350 degree oven until hot, about
           20 minutes.                                      

    We've always done a similar recipe at holiday times like Christmas
    and Thanksgiving.  It's delicious and a family favorite.
    
    Prepare squashes for boiling:
    Pare and cut up one or two butternut squashes into fairly small
    pieces.  Almost cover them with water.  Add a dash of salt and 
    some butter for flavor.  Boil them until soft (as you would for 
    mashed potatoes) - depending on how small the pieces are cut, 
    anywhere from 15 minutes to 1/2 an hour.  
    
    Mash the squash with butter and brown sugar. 
    We usually use about a 1/4 pound of butter and 3/4 to 1 cup of 
    brown sugar for two large butternut squashes.  Amounts can be 
    varied according to your taste.  Adding a little more salt when
    mashing (about 1/2 tsp) gives it a better flavor as well (especially
    if you've added too mush sugar.
    
    
    \Caroline

    I do pretty much the same thing as .15, but I have found that we prefer
    the squash to be steamed rather than boiled since it doesn't retain as
    much water and doesn't come out as watery once it's all mixed up.  I
    always buy about 15-20 pounds of butternut squash in the fall, make up
    the whole batch, and put it in 2-person servings in the freezer so that
    we have it all year.  That way, I only have to deal with peeling and
    cutting up the squash once.
    
    

    I microwave winter squash.  I peel it and cut it into medium chunks
    (probably the size of a deck of cards cut in half), put it in a
    covered microwave dish, and cook for about 3 minutes.  Then I drain
    off the excess water, being careful not to scald myself on the
    steam, stir the pieces so they'll cook evenly, and continue cooking.
    The total time varies depending on how much you're making, but I
    usually start at about 5-6 minutes total, and then start checking
    for doneness.  The result is pretty nice - not watery, and nicely
    flavored.  I find boiling takes away a lot of flavor.
    
    You can cut the squash into bite-sized chunks if you're not mashing
    it.  After you drain the water, you can add honey and cinnamon or
    whatever you wish for seasonings.  This turns out very nicely.
    
    --Louise

    (I presume butternut squash is what we call butternut pumpkin in
    Australia...)
    
    Butternut Pasta Sauce
    =====================
    2 cups butternut, chopped into half-inch cubes
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 medium onion, chopped
    2 cloves garlic, crushed
    2 teaspoons oregano
    1 medium tomato, chopped finely
    1 teaspoon dried chili (optional)
    Half cup sour cream
    
    Fry the onion, garlic and chili in the olive oil for 2 minutes.  Add
    the oregano, tomato and butternut and stir-fry until the butternut is
    soft (usually about 20 minutes).  Remove from heat, stir in the sour
    cream, and serve with al dente pasta, such as spiral macaroni.
    

    My garden this year has give me an abundance of yellow and Patty Pan
    squash.    Is there a way to freeze/preserve this type of squash to use
    at another time?   I have been giving away the extra squash, but would
    like to be able to save some for the winter...
    
    Please help....
    

Slice it and dry the slices.  Store in airtight containers.  Great in winter
soups or stews.  

    How do you dry the slices if you do not have a dehydrator?   Low oven
    temp?  For how long?
    
    

I use a convection oven.  A regular oven would do, but would take longer because
there is less air circulation.  

Time depends on how thick the slices are, too.  Slice the squash between 1/4 and
1/2 inch thick, and see how long it takes.  Check every half hour or so on the
first batch.  You can judge the future batches from there.  

I dry zukes until they are poker chip consistency, brittle.  

Keep the temperature LOW.  Below 200, if you can.  Keep the oven door ajar to
allow the humidity to escape.  It also helps to keep the temperature lower.  

I put the slices on a grilling rack (one made to grill small things on the bbq).
 If you put them on a solid tray, it will not work.  You really need max air
circulation for best drying.

You will be amazed when you find you can store a fridge full of squash in a 1
quart zip loc bag.

    What is pattypan squash?  Is this the little yellow squashs that are
    coming to local Massachusetts farm stands now?  They look similar in
    shape to acorn, at least more like acorn then summer.
    
    How do you cook this?  What squash does it taste like?
    
    cj

I believe pattypan is the little green flat one with the scalloped edge.
Should be common now. Perhaps Di can confirm.

-Jack

    Yep, pattypans are the "scalloped" ones, and they do come in both green
    and yellow varieties. I've been growing some yellow ones this year, and
    they taste just like "regular" summer squash, although if you're used
    to a certain cooking time based on uniform slices, you may have to play
    around a little to get this kind into similar-sized pieces. [FWIW, the
    pattypans have out-performed the zukes and summer squash two years in a
    row, due largely to what appears to be a slightly earlier production
    date, so they bear more produce before the squash-vine borers and/or
    the bacterial wilt kill the plants...]
    
    -b

    
    	I've always heard them referred to as "Scalloped Squash" locally.
    	I've never heard them called "pattypan" until flipping through a
    	western-US garden book recently...

    	They are my favorites. Some white wine, garden thyme and garlic
    	with a little pasta makes a great summer lunch.

	-Erik

	.26

	Interesting.  I've always heard them referred to as pattypans.

    Thanks for the help with the "pattypan or whatever you call it squash.
    
    Are winter varieties out yet?  I have seen acorn and butternut in the
    stores, but are they fresh or last years?  
    
    When does buttercup (very similar looking to acorn but tastes more like
    butternut) come out?  My husband's favorite!
    
    cj

    
>>    When does buttercup (very similar looking to acorn but tastes more like
>>    butternut) come out?  My husband's favorite!

	Our acorn, butternut, buttercup, sweet dumpling, and spaghetti
	are all harvested at the same time, so i would imagine you'll
	see buttercup in the markets soon too, but i'm not certain.

	btw, buttercup's my fav too.  I like to blend it with the 
	others (except the spaghetti, of course).
	Seems they all bring a different quality to the mix.

	- diane

Lock your car doors!  New England zucchini season has started.

--PSW

I bought a strange squash the other day.  It looked just like a zuchinni
except it was a bright yellow color.  It was in the same basket as the
summer squash but wasn't one.  Its color was even brighter and it had those
little white flecks on the skin that a zuchinni has.  It also had a
dark green stem.  Is this some new type of zuchinni?  I haven't cooked
it yet...

Karen

    My Dad grows a yellow zucchini, something like Yukon Gold or some such.
    Tastes the same to me. 
    Sarah

>>Lock your car doors!  New England zucchini season has started.

	"started"??  where have you been?  8^)

    Do I dare?  I'm in HLO, and would gladly take some off someone's hands.
    Sarah

    Really, I don't have a garden and would be happy to take some away (I'd
    even pay for it!)  I'm in SHR3...
    
    ~beth

    Karen,
    
    Are you referring to Summer Squash?  I don't particularly care for it
    as much as other vegetables but I'll tolerate it.  Summer squash is
    very watery, just like zuchini and I tend to think its milder.  I cook
    it with Zuch's all the time.  There is a wonderful recipe for Summer
    Squash, Carrots and Cheese in here somewhere.  I substituted non fat
    for the fat things and every one loved it, even the kids.
    
    FWIW, I have seen Zuchini in the Littleton MA area for about two months
    now however, personal gardens are usually behind.  If you notice,
    tomatoes have only been out for a week or two in most people's garden
    but in the stores for over a month.
    
    cj

>>    Are you referring to Summer Squash?  

	Nope... it was definately a yellow zuchinni.