Podcast: The Fall Harvest of Fruits and Vegetables: Squash. Sweet Potatoes. Pears. Pomegranates.
by Charles Stuart Platkin
Thursday, 18 October 2007
Butternut Squash
Why: Butternut squash soup. Isn’t that a good enough reason? It’s thick, satisfying and simple to make. All you have to do is seed and cube the squash, add onion, garlic and water or fat-free chicken broth, cook until the squash is soft, and purée in the blender. Pretty tasty. Unlike zucchini, which is a summer squash, winter squash (e.g., butternut squash) is almost always served cooked and well-seasoned with spices such as cinnamon, cumin or curry powder. Some say that squash is a tastier, sweeter, nuttier pumpkin. Butternut squash is bell-shaped, typically about 12 inches long, and weighs 2 to 4 pounds. It’s often described as meaty, and when baked it becomes moist and develops a sweet, rich flavor. An added perk is that it has a thin skin, which means it’s easy to peel with a vegetable peeler.