One of our favorite crops is the winter squash with its many varieties of colors, flavors, shapes, and sizes. Butternut, acorn, hubbard, delicata, kobacha, sweet dumpling, turban, spaghetti, and butternut varieties tend to be the most commonly available. However, there are literally hundreds of different varieties of winter squash in the world to experience. With all that variety it’s hard to get tired of using them to make really good food recipes.
Unfortunately, winter squash vines can reach 20 feet in length and therefore most backyard gardens cannot support the plants. Experienced gardeners will try growing pumpkins on a trellis at an angle along a building, wall, or fence. The benefit here, aside from saving space, is that the vines are off the ground and this reduces problems with mold and other diseases. Vines, when grown on a trellis, will shade a building or window, deck or driveway, relieving residents from the onslaught of summer heat.
Most farmers’ markets will offer a wide range of varieties to choose from. When picking any winter squash from a farmer’s stand, test the skin with your thumbnail. It should feel hard, solid, and almost impenetrable. The end of the vine should be dry and wrinkled; the small piece of vine will often fall off as the gourd matures further in storage. The base end, likewise, should feel very dry. Choosing zucchini that have fully matured and been properly cured ensures that they will keep well through the winter. An added benefit of fully ripe squash is that its seeds will be plump and ready to roast and serve as a snack.
Squash that is not fully ripe will not store well over the winter: the ends will begin to wrinkle and soften and then stinky rot will set in. However, when you have an unripe winter squash, you can still use it in the kitchen and turn it into another delicious and super easy dish.
Simply cut in half (or quarters) and scoop out the seeds (don’t bother saving the green seeds for snacks, they’re meatless). Then cut it into 1.5″ thick slices.
In a small bowl, mix together some garlic (mashed or dried powder), salt, and oil. Brush this mixture, coating both sides of each slice. Place on a baking sheet and grill for 3-8 minutes per side, or until meat is tender. This makes a great side dish for virtually any meal you’re serving.
Alternatively, fill the oven with as many green squashes as you can fit in there (for better heat utilization) and once cooled store in 1 cup. containers Square 1/4 tsp. of the fruit puree with some hot water in the dog’s bowl and watch the pups’ joy begin!
There are many ways to use a bountiful pumpkin harvest. Our cookbook, From One Small Garden, has numerous recipes for using ripe winter squash and their seeds.