Fall for squash

The best part of eating fruits and vegetables in their seasons is the taste. There’s nothing like spring strawberries, summer peaches and fall squash.

The second best part? Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

We haven’t had winter squash around here since…well, last winter. Now we can’t stop eating it.

Lucky for us, there are more varieties of winter squash than there are Yom Tov meals. The possibilities are endless, but the truth is, a little salt and butter or olive oil is all any of them need to taste delicious right out of the oven.

Don’t be afraid to buy a new kind of gourd at the farmer’s market or store. Sometimes, the ugliest ones are the most delightful.

And as for cutting it? Make sure you’ve got a good knife.

STUFFED WINTER SQUASH, TWO WAYS
1 medium winter squash of choice
3 cups fresh spinach, kale or swiss chard leaves
4 cloves garlic
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1t salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
mozzarella cheese (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise or in 1.5-in. slices, according to your preferred recipe. Place slices or the the halves upside down in a pan of shallow water and bake until soft (25 minutes for slices and more for larger halves). You should be able to easily pierce the squash with a fork.

Puree greens and garlic in a food processor. Combine greens mixture, egg, panko, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Remove the squash from the oven and drain water. Add greens mixture to the center of the squash (if you’re using halves, they should be face up. Cover greens with cheese if desired. Return to oven and bake for another 12 minutes.

You can also try one of these squash recipes from previous posts:

Squash soup

Pumpkin soup in its shell

Grated root vegetables

Kabachi squash stuffed with wild rice