Hordes of gourds

By NATALIE MIKLES World Scene Writer - 10/28/2009


It's easy to walk right past them, the odd shapes and gnarled skin. The grocery cart seems to steer more easily toward the potatoes and carrots than the characters that make up winter squash.

Even adventurous cooks can be put off by the size, colors and names of some of these curious squash. But fear not. Once you know a few basics, you can comfortably roast squash for risotto or bake and puree it for a pie.

We'll tell you exactly how to do it on page 3, but first let's take a look at what's out there.





TURBAN SQUASH

The conversation piece. If you never cut into this squash, it’s still worth the purchase, if only for its so-ugly-it’s-cute charm and tripod base. But if you do decide to cook with a turban, you can bake, mash, steam or puree, turning it into roasted turban wedges or turban squash soup.

SPAGHETTI

The trickster. When cooked, the flesh of this squash produces long spaghetti-like threads. Fool your kids or friends by serving it with sauce in pasta bowls, and wait before you tell them they’re eating squash. Bright yellow spaghetti squash indicates ripeness, so go for color when selecting.

BUTTERNUT

The work horse. The most versatile winter squash, butternut is equally good when roasted for a long period as it is in a quick sauté. Butternut squash soup is its claim to fame and a classic fall food.

ACORN SQUASH

The cute one. Easy to cook with, acorn squash is a favorite because of its manageable size and sweet flesh. Quarter it and roast for individual servings. For a sweet side dish, top with cinnamon and a little maple syrup. For savory foods, try olive oil and a little curry powder.

BUTTERCUP

The sweet potato in disguise. However you would use a sweet potato, use the buttercup. That means it can be roasted for a root vegetable mélange or pureed for buttercup pie.

RED KURI

The secret agent. Nutty and sweet, this squash requires excellent knife skills if cubing or at least a steady hand if you will be cutting it in half and roasting. Its chestnut-like flavor becomes even sweeter when roasted. It has a lot of seeds, so be prepared for that.

DELICATA

The vintage stock. This heirloom variety, with a smooth and creamy flesh, is best reserved for savory dishes. Its greatest advantage is its thin skin, which is easy to peel or can be left on when sauteed with other vegetables or roasted for a side dish. You can also puree delicata for a savory soup or use it to replace the meat in an Indian or Thai curry.



Natalie Mikles 581-8486
natalie.mikles@tulsaworld.com


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Tulsa World Reader Comments
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lucky girl, mine (10/28/2009 9:18:48 AM)
Hard to make gourds sound exciting

Arbythree, Tulsa (10/28/2009 9:09:03 AM)
Clever headline.

Arbythree, Tulsa (10/28/2009 1:24:30 PM)
LOL mcwitch!

mcwitch, Skiatook (10/28/2009 11:09:46 AM)
Hey, you guys; I was raised with the acorn squash, and it is delicious if you just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and stab little fork holes in the flesh. Fill it with 'butter' and brown sugar and bake it with the meat until the inside is soft. Try it sometime, but make sure you have the squash planted firmly in the oven so it doesn't tip and drip. A tinfoil cradle works good, just in case.

mcwitch, Skiatook (10/28/2009 11:11:50 AM)
I had to rewrite that 3 times to avoid 'inappropiate language'~~~~how can a recipe for baked squash sound 'inappropiate'? I give up!

archer64, tulsa (10/29/2009 9:30:34 AM)
"Fork hole" maybe? language filters are fun. Another option to the tinfoil cradle to avoid tipping over is cutting off a small piece on the rounded bottom side, so that it has a flat surface to rest on, just don't want to cut into the fleshy part deep enough that all the butter leaks out when heated.



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