Monday, November 5, 2007

Behold the Butternut!

There are produce choices we must make in winter. When in the grocery store, we have several options: anemic, pink, out-of-season tomatoes, veggies imported from the southern side of the globe, which brings up a few ethical/environmental issues, or frozen veggies, bound to wind up encrusted in ice in the back of the freezer.

Or, we can eat what's in season. And what's in season right now, and through winter, is my favorite vegetable, the butternut squash.

Where to begin? The range of size? So far this year I've bought a tiny, six-inch, four-pounder, a few medium, and the current choice, an 18-inch-high one weighing in around ten pounds. They are also just plain good-looking, with their tan peels and rich orange flesh. They're cheap--I get mine for 40 cents a pound at the farmer's market.

The possibilities with butternut squash are pretty endless. If you've got the time, inclination, and are as fascinated as I am with dishes that taste better the day after they're cooked, this risotto-like dish is worth a try. Butternut squash soup is one of my favorites, but I have yet to make a good homemade one--suggestions welcome!

One of the few recipes I've ever created that was successful is a butternut squash puree. You can mash if you prefer. Here it is:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and halve a butternut squash (all weights welcome). Place onto a greased jelly roll pan. Take a head of garlic, and chop off just the top part. Wrap the garlic in a piece of foil, and put it on the jelly roll pan with the squash. Roast squash & garlic for one hour. Let cool about 5-10 minutes. Place squash in a large bowl. Squeeze garlic out--it should have a pulpy consistency. Add a tablespoon of butter and 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Puree with a hand blender, or mash with a potato masher until everything is mixed together. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Butternut squash is a good source of potassium and fiber. It's very sweet. Australians refer to it as pumpkin. It originates from Mexico, whereas pumpkins originate from South America. It keeps for more than a month (but don't refrigerate it, unless you've peeled and cut it).

How to determine a fantastic butternut squash over a mediocre one? It should not have cracks. It should be heavy for its size. It can be easily peeled with a vegetable peeler--if you have a good one. I thought it was very difficult to peel until I peeled one at a friend's house last year. She had a super peeler, and I went out and bought the same one. Now I eat a butternut squash a week, rather than one per month. That's the difference a good peeler makes. That is the moral of this article--if you currently own a sorry veggie peeler, do yourself a favor and buy a better one. You will feel the difference. Oh, the power of gadgets!


Next up in my winter vegetables series: more root veggies, including a clarification of yams vs. sweet potatoes, currently a mystery to me.