Seasonal Eats: Digging On Squash

Some people don’t know this, but you can eat almost every part of a Squash — from the shoots to the seeds, flowers and leaves.  So the next time a big storm hits, you might consider stocking up on a few squash.  Besides, fall is when squash really comes into its own, ripe for roasting, pureeing and whipping into soup. While summer’s ripe with soft squash the likes of zucchini and patty pan, hard-shelled winter squash make for great centerpieces for the dinner table.  Their thick, unique-looking shells protect their insides for months, so you can use them as decor until you’re ready to cook them up.  Their sweet, rich flesh bring a taste of autumn to the table.

There’s lots of different types of winter squash, including Kabocha, Turban, Buttercup, and Fairytale Pumpkin Squash, and they’re all used in different ways.  Acorn squash is one of the three most common types of squash found at farmers markets and  perhaps the most versatile; they’re good roasted, baked, steamed or sauteed. Their flesh is tender and sweet, so you can keep it simple, baking them with a little salt and pepper.  If you want to tease out more sweetness, swap out the salt and pepper for cinnamon, brown sugar and a little butter. When you’re shopping for an acorn squash, look for dark green squash with grooves on the sides shaped like acorns (thus the name!).  And don’t worry if they have splotches of yellow or orange on them, it’s normal.

One of our favorite squash are Spaghetti Squash. Talk about a texture we can get behind: The soft sweet strands on the inside are reminiscent in shape and texture to actual spaghetti.  Spaghetti Squash look radically different from Acorn Squash with a watermelon-like in shape and have a yellow shell.  As with any of the others, look for a firm, heavy squash without spots or rot. Once opened, you scrape out the spaghetti-like strands and cook up just like pasta with tomato sauce and a little cheese.   Have extra bolognese sauce and some parmesan?  Throw it over some spaghetti squash.   To cook it, simply prick holes in the squash and roast on 375 degrees for about an hour and a half, flipping it over halfway through. When it’s done, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and then use a fork to get out the flesh.

The most well known of all winter squashes, Butternut Squash, is sweet and super easy to cook. It’s also good any which way.  Because it’s easily mashed or pureed, it’s one of the best squash for soups, but it fares just as well when you cut it into cubes and roast it.   But if you’re looking for a way to change things up in the kitchen, try adding roasted butternut squash to a homemade pizza along with a scattering of roasted onions, rosemary and goat cheese.  When shopping for a butternut squash, look for an elongated, pale squash that’s either a very light brown or tan color and vivid orange flesh.  The skin should look and feel thinner than most other squashes.

If you’re not in the market for shopping or cooking, just eat out! There’s some terrific squash dishes all over this fine city, including Bread Tribecca’s Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta — comfort food to the Nth degree.   There’s a deliciously thick and creamy Butternut Squash Soup at E.A.T. on the Upper East Side and an Acorn Squash Salad with nuts and dried fruits at Pure Food.   If it’s endearingly stringy spaghetti squash you’re after, head to Cookshop for a starter of Spaghetti Squash, mingled with hazelnut cream. dried empress plums and fried kale.  One of our favorites is an appetizer of Roasted Kabocha Squash Toast, crowned with fresh ricotta and apple cider vinegar, at ABC Kitchen.  Dan Kluger meditates on squash with another dish of Roasted Butternut Squash sprinkled with hazelnuts, goat cheese and spicy onions. Yum!  Regardless of whether you’re looking uptown or downtown, for salad or soup, find time to seek out Winter Squash this season.

ABC Kitchen
35 East 18th Street
(212)475-5829

Bread Tribecca
301 Church Street
212-334-0200
www.breadtribeca.com 

E.A.T.
1064 Madison Ave Between 80th and 81st 
(212)-772-0022
www.elizabar.com/EAT-C25.aspx

Pure Food 
1396 Madison Ave at 97th St. 
(212)-996-7500
www.purefoodny.com

Cookshop 
156 10th Ave at 20th Street
(212)-924-4440
www.cookshopny.com