Tasty Colors

Did you happen to catch that gorgeous display of fall colors with winter squashes and gourds? As much as we like to make table displays and porch decorations out of them, did you know that winter squashes are also delicious and nutritious?

Winter squash and edible gourdes are some of the most versatile and tastiest vegetables available at the market right now.

Every single one of those squashes in the picture are edible. They are the perfect size to carry home in your Market Basket and consume in multiple meals. One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to cube up winter squash along with colorful cauliflowers, sweet potatoes, root vegetables, and sliced onion, put it all in either a zip lock bag or a lidded container, slather with olive oil, spread out on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven. The first batch I did this season even had cherry tomatoes and peppers, both which roast up nicely into caramelized flavor bombs.

It's also rapidly approaching  soup weather. I know, it was in the 80’s on Sunday, but trust me, cooler fall weather is on the way. Nothing is more warming and easier than making a  batch of roasted winter squash soup.  Just add your cooked squash to the blender with of your choice of stock and zing until smooth.  I saw a recipe for Curried Winter Squash soup topped off with a dollop of thick yogurt that will be a must try in my kitchen.  The best part about soup is you can make a big batch and freeze it for another day. Here’s a tip: check out Souper Cubes. You’ll be hooked.

There have been lots of new market babies this season. I remember eating Gerber pumpkin baby food for a baby shower game and it was about the nastiest stuff I’d ever tasted. Babies don’t have to be subjected to that sort of highly processed mess when you can cook fresh winter squash straight from the farmers market. Best of all, you get to controll all the ingredients and they’ll taste so much better for your little ones.  Even toddlers will like the colorful bite-sized pieces cut up and roasted for them to pick up and eat on their own. And fresh winter squash is so full of natural sugars, no sweetners will need to be added.

There are seven ways to Sunday to cook winter squash from thinly slicing and sauteing to adding to a hot pot. It can be InstaPotted and Air Fried. If you don't want the job of peeling,  simply cut the entire thing in half and scoop out the seeds.  Roast the halves in the oven until soft and then scoop out the flesh. I have found that some of these squashes are so darn tasty that when I'm scooping out cooked flesh I end up eating most of it simply by the spoonful.

There is a variety called spaghetti squash because its flesh is thick strands that look like pasta. Toss it with some fresh marinara sauce from the last of summers tomatoes or mix in pesto and cheese. Either way you can't miss.

When you’ve got a load of cooked winter squash, this is where bakers in you will emerge. You can make pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, after all,  it's pumpkin spice season. And even if you don't like pumpkin spice, you can still use cooked squash to increase your fiber intake in a healthier muffin.

Of course we save the most decadent for last--dessert. What would the upcoming holiday season be without pumpkin pie? If you're not into crust, there is always, pumpkin custard pumpkin brulee, and even pumpkin gelato. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

But it’s ok if you want to sit the pretty ones on your table with assorted decorative greens or carve up a Jack-O-Lantern for your front porch, too.