Winter Squash Makes Fall Flavors Last Stuff, steam, and purée this good keeper BY ODESSA PIPER n chilly Saturday mornings in October, Omy co-chef Eric Rupert and I go to the farmers’ market in Madison, Wisconsin, to pick up our restaurant’s entire winter supply of squash. We haul off pounds of all-purpose butternut, ungainly hubbard, delicata (my favorite for stuffing), and whatever other flavorful varieties the farmers have grown. As I walk around the market, I realize how well the foods of the region harmonize in cooking. Apple cider and maple syrup, strong flavors that might otherwise be too sweet for savory dishes, work well with the richness of winter squash. Crisp hickory nuts and chewy mushrooms perfectly complement the opulent texture of firm and smooth-fleshed squash. Even hardy herbs such as sage and rosemary don’t overpower squash’s sturdy flavor. Winter squash is a staple for our restaurant’s Don’t pass up winter seasonal cooking. To us, it’s a time capsule of every- squash when you see thing we love about harvest that we can take with it in your local market. us through the long winter. If you succumb, as I do, Its sweet, firm flesh to the beauty of squash on a crisp autumn day at can be turned into the farmers’ market, gather with abandon, for melt-in-your-mouth squash will remain faithful to you long after the last dumplings, hearty tomato or eggplant has gone. soups, or delicate cus- tards. A long keeper, WAIT FOR THE FLAVOR TO DEVELOP squash holds onto its Not all varieties of winter squash are ready to eat flavor into the winter. right after the fall harvest. After being cut from the vine, winter squash require warm days to ripen in the field. Some varieties will also need to cure in storage for four to six weeks before they’re at their best for eating. Squash, along with the other members of the genus Cucurbita, such as cucumbers and gourds, are indigenous to the Americas, so some of the vari- eties of winter squash we eat are similar to those Illustrations: Mary Worcester cultivated hundreds of years ago by Native Ameri- OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1994 57 Copyright © 1994 - 2007 The Taunton Press Ready to eat first in the fall. From left, pump- kin, turban, acorn, and delicata all belong to the pepos species of squash and need little curing time after ripening to develop their flavor. cans. Other varieties are new hybrids, developed rated for cooking. In recipes that call for pumpkin, I for their beautiful shapes and colors. As with so prefer to combine pumpkin with delicata or butter- many other varieties of fruits and vegetables that nut to boost its flavor. are “improved” in the name of convenience and The next species to ripen are the C. maxima looks, striking or unblemished appearances do not squash, which can be recognized by their round guarantee great flavor. stems, mostly leathery skins, and deeply colored The winter squash I cook with fall into three flesh. They include hubbard, buttercup, kabocha species. The first squash ready to eat in the fall be- (there are several in this group), chestnut, Red long to the Cucurbita pepo species. Delicata, acorn, Kuri, and Green Hokkaido. These squash tend to and turban squash belong to this group, as do start out starchy at harvest, but sweeten steadily pumpkin, spaghetti squash, and summer squash. during a month’s cure. Maximas have a firm, fiber- Pepos varieties, which are generally yellow fleshed, less flesh that turns flaky when cooked, then require little or no curing time after ripening. smooth when puréed or mashed. They usually last They’re also the first to fade, however, losing their four months in storage without losing their flavor flavor and becoming fibrous after three or four and texture. Of the maximas, the chestnut and months in storage. Red Kuri have my vote—chestnut squash for its Two cuts are safer For the classic presentation of winter squash smooth texture upon baking and mashing, and than one. Rest the baked in the shell with butter and brown sugar, Red Kuri for the flecks of color it adds to purées. squash on one of its acorn squash, with its sweet, nutty flavor, is a good The last to mature and the longest to stay is the trimmed ends and choice. I like to toss in some hickory nuts or pecans species C. moschata, represented by my favorite insert the tip of a chef’s to bring out the nuttiness even more. Long, cylin- squash variety, the butternut. This squash has knife into the center of drical delicata squash has become my favorite vari- a deep orange flesh and, in my opinion, has the the squash. Lever the ety for stuffing because each squash makes two deep richest flavor of all the winter squash. Perhaps this knife down until it’s flat bowls when cut crosswise. The delicata’s creamy is because butternut squash takes the longest to on the cutting board. texture and sweet flavor, reminiscent of a sweet fully sweeten after harvest—up to six weeks. Rotate the squash and potato, makes it a good foil for more delicate fillings, Butternuts will keep through a long winter if repeat the cut on the such as custard. stored in a cool, dry place. A freshly cut butternut other side. I enjoy turban squash for their vibrant red, gold, has an aroma that reminds me of watermelon. I and green stripes, but they can be uneven in taste enjoy this squash so much that I will occasionally and texture. Because the flesh is quite dry and sliver it raw into hearty salads with cabbage and firm, when I get a good turban squash, I braise it or winter greens. use it for soup. No matter what variety you buy, look for squash I think most pepos pumpkin varieties are over- that feel heavy and have a hard skin, but that have 58 FINE COOKING Copyright © 1994 - 2007 The Taunton Press Whether exotic or ungainly, maxima squash have firm, colorful flesh. From left, Red Kuri, kabocha, buttercup, and (in the rear) hubbard develop their sweet flavor as they cure. no cracks or soft spots. Store squash in a cool braising, you’ll need to peel the squash first (see place—a dry basement is ideal. Don’t refrigerate photo at right). them, though, because winter squash rapidly de- teriorate at temperatures below 50°F. ROAST, STEAM, OR BOIL When I plan to serve squash in its shell, I roast it CUT AND PEEL HARD SQUASH WITH CARE halved and uncovered at 350°F until tender. This Rock-hard winter squash, with their tough, leath- allows water in the squash to evaporate and con- ery skin and rounded shapes, can be dangerous to centrates the squash’s inherent sweetness and nutti- cut and peel. Cutting squash requires a hefty, ness. If I’m in a hurry or I want a moister squash, I’ll sharp knife and the cook’s full attention. To cut bake it inverted or covered. For roasting squash, I squash safely and easily, cut off the woody stem recommend basting the cut surfaces with butter to and bud ends and stabilize the squash on the cut- keep them soft and moist. ting board on one of the flat, cut surfaces. Then To make mashed or puréed squash for pies or cus- cut through the squash in at least two passes (see tards, steam the squash in the skin, scrape off the photo at left). pulp, and then mash the pulp or force it through a This method for cutting squash will not work strainer to remove lumps. for a large hubbard squash, which can weigh up to Boiling squash is ideal for soups where the boil- Reach for your bon- 20 pounds and can have an exterior as tough as ing medium will also be used as the broth. I don’t ing knife to pare off its interior is sweet. For these, I take apart and recommend boiling squash except for soup, how- tough skin. The knife’s open out a paper shopping bag, put it on the floor, ever, because flavor and vitamins leach out into flexible blade hugs the and then hurl the squash to the floor to crack it. the cooking water. When I want a velvety- curves of this hard Once the squash is cracked, I lift it back to the textured soup, I cook the squash with vegetables butternut squash, work surface, insert the knife in the largest fault, in broth until tender, purée (a blender works bet- quickly taking off the and cut down through the squash. ter than a food processor for this), and force the peel but leaving the Squash can be difficult to peel. As a rule, when purée through a fine strainer. No other thicken- flavorful flesh behind. baking or steaming winter squash, you should ing is necessary. leave the skins on so that the vitamins and rich Because winter squash vary so much in size and flavor concentrated close to the skin are retained. density, it’s difficult to establish exact cooking A way to get around peeling raw squash for soups times, though it’s easy to tell when they’re cooked. is to steam it quartered with the skin still on. Stab the squash with a fork—if the tines enter the When the squash is soft enough, simply scrape the flesh easily, the squash is done. With baked flesh away from the skin and proceed with the squash, when I detect a slight fragrance of cara- Photos: Suzanne Roman recipe.