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I got in a quick, solo trip to Hillsboro Farmer’s Market this morning, right after it stopped raining.
I love this part of market season – everything’s so abundant, and my weekly produce budget seems to stretch for miles.
Thanks to all of you and your excellent eggplant recipe suggestions from last week, I scored a couple of the purple beauties and have big plans…
(These, of course, are not eggplant, but… rarely are potatoes this photogenic.)
I also scored a pile of tomatoes, peppers, and onions to roast – that was so dang tasty last week! We tossed the mixture with pasta one day, and ate the rest in an omelet the next morning.
I just put everything in a pan together, chopped and tossed with a little olive oil and salt. Then I left it in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes until everything was tender and a little blistered. So easy.
…And now begins my annual Debate With Squash. I always want to buy them, because they’re so cool-looking. But I rarely actually get around to cooking them.
I don’t know why. I like eating them. But it just seems like so much effort to hack one open and bake it.
Got any squash recipes for lazy people?
What I usually do is steam it. Tastes great and they don’t go all soggy mushy or have to worry abt singing it in the oven! Plus, it seals in all the squashy goodness! Add a little butter, some pepper and yumolah! *grin*
Also, make sure you use a large AND sharp knife! Some of those suckers are a pain to cut!
oh, you should try acorn squash. it takes a while to cook but the prep is so easy and it is like dessert for dinner. probably one of my favorite autumn dishes!
1 Acorn squash
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
Dash of Salt
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife. Place onto a baking pan, cut side up. Cover the bottom of the baking pan with water to keep the squash from drying out.
Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 a Tbsp of butter. Put a dash of salt and a tablespoon of brown sugar into the hollow. Drizzle a teaspoon of maple syrup over the inside and cut edges.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. Spoon some of the sauce over the cut edges.
easy peasy: poke a few holes in a spaghetti squash. microwave it until it's softish – about 10-15 minutes, turning it over at least once. (OR bake at 350 for about 30-40 mins) when it's done, let it rest for a few minutes until cool enough to touch. then cut it in half, take a fork and loosen up the meat in each half into strings, and toss with some good olive oil, fresh herbs, shredded parmesan, pine nuts, fresh tomatoes, bacon crumbles…pretty much whatever's tasty and on hand. Super yummy!
I can't help you with squash — it tricks me with its cool looks and healthfulness into thinking I'll like it. I always think I'll like it, and I never do.
You can cut an acorn squash into sticks, toss with olive oil and seasoning salt and roast in a 400-450 degree oven for 20-30 minutes to make oven fries. I almost really liked that recipe :)
hate squash but they are great to draw lol
We just chunk them up, peel them, then roast them in the oven with butter and pumpkin pie spices. So easy and so good.
Good Point – that may be my best bet. :-)
Huh. That's a really interesting idea. Maybe even with a little cayenne in the salt. I'll bet I'd almost really like it, too! :-)
I didn't know you could microwave a spaghetti squash like that! Where have I been all this time? I can totally handle poking holes. Thanks, Gaile!
That does sound yummy – and easy to convert to sugarfree. Thanks for the recipe, Jared!
Hmmm… I've never tried steaming. That could be good – and give me a reason to use my giant steamer basket. Thanks, Rori!
Mmmmmm… pumpkin pie spices!
You really have the best blog pictures, Diane!
The only way I have cooked squash is in a ratatuoille; chop it up and fry it in the pan with other veggies like onion, garlic, sweet peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, then add some spices (ex thyme). It tastes good with anything!
Thanks! And thanks for the Ratatouille idea!
I think your blog refused to let me post my eggplant recipes last week so I hope it lets me do pumpkin (squash). Pumpkin soup is deelish- and the key is to roast the pumpkin first. WIth those big old hard skinned ones, just hack it in half, scoop out the seed goop and bake it. Then when it's cooked, scoop out the cooked flesh and put it in your soup. no peeling required. I have a ton of recipes/ways to use this stuff, I'll try to remember to email you some.
Winter squash: in a thai, red coconut curry; simply roasted and smooshed with butter; acorn squash is great tossed with chile-powder, roasted in cubes.
My secret is a very good knife (and occassionally break out the mallet from the toolbox for extra help). And I keep the seed scooper from a pumpkin carving kit in my kitchen drawer (but a melon baller works too) and I bet the little serrated knife might be handy if your knives aren’t up to the task.
Now that's my kind of squash recipe! Thanks!
Sorry the blog gave you issues last week. Maybe a server hiccup or
something?
Mmmm… I love sweet-hot things. Thanks for the suggestion!
Squash are much easier to hack open when you microwave them a little bit first. I am no expert at this matter, I've only done it twice. But if you Google squash and microwave, then you should come up with some cook times for different varieties.
As for recipes, I've been itching to try this Martha Every Day Food recipe, that I saw her make on her show: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/edf-roasted…
Beautiful market images! Please share any yummy winter squash recipes you get with your mother!
Seriously? I had no idea you could microwave them before cutting. I'll definitely research that idea. Thanks!!
Look for delicata squash, which is sort of a small variety, about the size of short fat cucumber, sort of yellowy-greeny streaked:cut it up (it's not tough), scrap out the innards, and roast it like any other roastable veg, and when it's done the skin is so tender you just eat that too. Completely easy-peasy and good.
Oh, I've seen those at the market, but never tried them That sounds
easy enough for me. Thanks for the suggestion!
Oh, I've seen those at the market, but never tried them That sounds
easy enough for me. Thanks for the suggestion!