Wearing bright hues of yellow, green, or sun-struck orange, the gourds, pumpkins, and winter squash of autumn set the tone for the colorful season ahead. As sure as baseball comes to an end and leaves tumble to the ground, these rotund fruits—potent symbols of harvest bounty everywhere they grow—make their way into our soups, dinners, desserts, and sometimes even our beverages.
Stroll the aisles of any local farmers market, and you’ll see brilliant displays of the cheerful beauties, from tasty squash to inedible, yet highly decorative gourds. Close cousins of cucumber, melon, and summer squash, these fruits of fall make versatile partners for just about any meal.
A favorite of many area chefs, butternut squash offers a clean flavor that enhances both sweet and savory dishes. It has cream-colored skin, an elongated pear shape, and tastes a bit like a nutty sweet potato.
When making soup, Chef David McWilliams, executive chef at the Gardens of Avila Restaurant, recommends against roasting butternut squash, which can discolor the flesh. He prefers to “sweat” chunks of the squash, a technique akin to sautéing, but without letting the pieces turn brown.
Season butternut squash soup with a simple combination of salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg, and add a dollop of crème fraiche on top. For a spicier version, include garlic, onion, and curry powders, and garnish with a lime crema made from sour cream laced with a little lime juice.
Add chunks of winter squash, such as pumpkin or banana squash, to vegetable soup, or steam a variety of cubes and dress them with olive oil, tamari, ginger, and a sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds. For a satisfying comfort food, simply cut the squash into quarters, bake until tender, peel, and mash the flesh with a little salt, pepper, and butter.
As a main course, the many varieties of winter squash lend themselves to hearty casseroles and stews, either as chunky ingredients or pureed and used to thicken the gravy. Combine pumpkin, butternut, or turban squash with vegetables, flavorful broth, and hunks of braised beef, or omit the meat and serve as a nutritious side dish.
Alternatively, halve and bake acorn or delicata squash, scoop out the flesh, and then stuff the shells with sautéed onions, cooked ground beef, the mashed flesh, and seasoning to taste. Top with grated cheese and bake until thoroughly heated.
The smaller varieties, such as turban and autumn cup squash, and diminutive pumpkins like Baby Bear or Jack-Be-Little, make wonderful individual serving bowls for a hearty soup. When preparing, be sure to partially bake them and scrape away only about half of the flesh, so the sides remain firm enough to hold the hot soup.
And then there’s oblong, yellow-skinned spaghetti squash, which is wildly different and delightfully versatile. Not at all creamy, its cooked flesh forms long, succulent strands with a delicate flavor that makes a perfect foil for a basic dressing of butter and salt or spicy marinara sauce.
To prepare a simple, old-fashioned dessert, cook winter squash—about any variety will do—puree the flesh, and top with cinnamon and maple syrup. Creative cooks might also want to shake things up with offerings of sweetened blue hubbard bread, pumpkin crème brulee, or pumpkin ice cream.
Long Island cheese, a flattened, deeply ribbed pumpkin-type squash that resembles a lumpy wheel of cheddar, features flavorful, bright orange flesh. It makes fine puree for blending into pies, ice cream, and show-stopping cheesecake—as do Sugar Pie and Cinderella pumpkins.
Not to be outdone by the Hogwarts gang with their goblets of chilled pumpkin juice, regular folks can reach for a tall glass of pumpkin ale, a seasonal brew made with ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and sometimes even chunks of pumpkin added to the mash. George Washington occasionally used pulverized pumpkin instead of malt to brew his suds, so there’s plenty of history behind this seemingly unorthodox practice.
Local star Matt Brynildson, brewmaster at Firestone Walker Brewing Company, has gotten into the act this autumn with Oaktoberfest, an ale with aromas and flavors reminiscent of nutmeg, vanilla, and roasted pumpkin seeds, though none of those ingredients were added.
“It’s a departure for us,” Brynildson said, “because we’re steeped in English tradition and we usually make pale ales. For this malty-accented beer, we sourced 100 percent German raw materials.
“This beer is all about drinkability,” he added, “and all things pig. It’s perfect for sausages, pork cutlet with lots of gravy, potatoes, heavy comfort food. Because it’s a malty beer, it pairs excellently with food.”
As leaves drop and Major League Baseball winds down, winter squash takes center stage in the markets and at the table. Nutritious and oh-so-versatile, these beautiful fruits reflect the hues of fall and set a happy tone for the festivities that lie ahead.
K. Reka Badger’s columns always take center stage. E-mail comments or ideas to rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Oct 8-15, 2009.