I'm in Delicata Heaven!

I love winter squash. Here are a few hints and tips from The Victory Garden Cookbook:

• Small chunks of squash are a good addition to soups and stews
• Squash cooked with pot roast or a braised dish of any kind will thicken the sauce nicely when mashed.
• Raw squash is a delightful snack or addition to a crudités platter
• Squash is low in sodium, so it’s a good choice for restricted-salt diets.
• Use the flesh as well as the blossoms for squash tempura. Just cut into thin, flat strips, dip in batter, and deep-fry.
• Freeze leftover squash—it’s delicious reheated.
• Use small amounts of cooked squash added to yeast breads or pancake batters to give color and moisture.
• Use pureed in soups.
• Store squash at 50-55 degrees in a dry spot with low humidity. (If stored below 50 degrees, squash will suffer chilling injuries and start to deteriorate.) Don’t put squashes in your basement—it’s probably too moist and they will be more likely to rot; an attic or any other cool, dry spot is your best choice.
• Winter squash stores so well that there’s no need to can or freeze it. However, cooked squash freezes nicely, and it’s a convenience to have it ready to eat.

So, don’t just use your winter squash as autumn decorations. .. eat it up!

Recipe Corner
It’s winter squash time! Yay! Our first year or two getting farm shares, we didn’t really know about delicata squash. In case you don’t know yet, delicata are long skinny winter squash. The look a bit like a more yellow and hardier cucumber. The skin is thin enough to leave on so you don’t have to peel it before cooking or eating. My favorite way to serve delicate is to cut it up into rings, scoop out the seeds and fry it up in some olive oil and salt and pepper and serve it like onion rings. . .yummy.
Here’s a recipe that I found at our farmer’s market a few years back. I think it might have been from Nash’s farm stand, but I’m not sure. I sometimes cook the delicata with the leeks and set aside while cooking the rest. Also good with baked tofu thrown in and served over rice.

Steamed Delicata with Tomato-Leek-Cilantro Dressing
2 lbs delicata
pinch of salt
½ cup cilantro
olive oil
1 cup diced leek
1 ¼ tsp. ground cumin
flaked hot pepper
pinch of cloves
2 tbs. cider vinegar
½ tsp. honey
2 med. Tomatoes

1. Cut squash lengthwise. Remove seeds. Cut into ½ “ slices
2. Set squash in steamer basket over boiling water. Sprinkle with salt and let steam until tender, but not falling apart
3. Chop Cilantro, warm oil in skillet over moderate heat. Add leek. Sauté until just brown, add cumin, hot pepper flakes and cloves. Toss a quick minute.
4. Reduce heat. Add vinegar, honey and tomatoes and toss a few minutes until juicy.
5. Remove from heat, stir in more olive oil and ½ of the cilantro.
6. Spoon over squash, top with remaining cilantro.