Fall Squash: Delicious, Nutritious, and Cheap

Y’all have spoken, and apparently we need a series on squash!  I’ve been getting 1 or 2 in my Misfits Market Box every week, and they’re all over the stores ($0.69/lb at Aldi recently).

In unofficial terms, squash come in two categories: the kind where you eat the whole thing, and the kind where you don’t eat the skin and the seeds are too big to just cook with the rest of the squash.  But, since nothing is simple in life, the same squash can be an eat-it-all summer squash as a youth, but grows big/huge into a sturdy winter squash if you/the farmer lets it.  

Usually, these are summer squash: zucchini, yellow, pattypan, and endless varieties we don’t find in our western grocery stores.  Young butternuts, delicatas, and acorn squash can fall into this category, too. 

The rest are winter squash: spaghetti, butternut, honeynut, and all the pumpkins.  These kind get extra props because they provide their own shelf-stable container (their skin) and can sit and wait until you need them—weeks or even months.  Such a luxury compared to most produce!  Just be careful to check them frequently if you have any in the house because if they rot, they smell AWFUL.  Sickeningly sweet and funky.  

Simply put, when deciding what to do with squash, we have these options:

-use it as a container for your other ingredients in your meal.  Think “breadbowl” but not. 

-roast it and add to a dish as a component of your meal.

-mash it, like mashed potatoes.

-purée it, and use in a soup or sauce.  You can make mountains of squash disappear this way. 

The next 4 blogs are going to showcase each one of those 4 options.  Ready!!! Go load up on squash and get excited!