Squash Recipes

We have been swapping squash recipes on the What's For Dinner thread and I thought I'd put them all in one convenient place. Please feel free to add!


SQUASH RECIPES -

Squash French Style
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If you like French flavors, split the squash, seed it, bake it at 350 for about thirty minutes. Cool and scoop out the squash. An alternative prep is to peel the squash and seed, dice the meat and saute in butter. Then puree. Make a potage with cream, ginger and nutmeg, using the pureed squash meat. Fresh tarragon is nice with this but don't bother using dried. S&P to taste. Keep it simple. It will be rich so you might want to take some of the squash from the baking or sauteing and save it for making raviolis or gnocchi. One cup is enough. If you have two cups of unadulterated squash meat you can freeze it for a squash pie which might make you veer from pumpkin. Butternuts make very good pie IMO.


Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Cider Cream
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5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
6 cups peeled, seeded, cubed butternut squash (2- to 2 1/2- lb. squash, cut into 1/2" cubes)
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped + 1 extra apple for garnish
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
5 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups apple cider, divided
2/3 cup sour cream
Kosher salt, optional
5 bacon slices, cooked, drained, crumbled

* Melt butter in large pan over medium-high. Add squash, leeks, carrots and celery; saute, stirring, 10-12 minutes. Add apples, thyme and sage. Add broth and 1 cup cider. Bring to simmer; cover. On low, cook until vegetables and apples are tender, stirring, 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.

* Boil remaining 1/2 cup cider in small pan until reduced to 1/4 cup, 5 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl; whisk in reduced cider.

* Puree soup, in batches, in blender. Return to pot; season with salt, if needed. Halve and core remaining apple; slice. Serve soup drizzled with cider cream. Garnish with bacon and apple.

Serves 6.

(I find using a hand-held immersion blender is so much faster than doing batches in the counter top blender).


Fall Broth with Acorn Squash, Swiss Chard and Bacon
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1 1/2- to 1 3/4 -lb. acorn squash
1 bunch (about 12 oz.) Swiss chard
6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 1/3 cups chopped onion
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
Kosher salt, optional
1-2 pinches cayenne pepper
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

* Using large knife, halve squash lengthwise; scoop out and discard seeds and membranes. Cut each half length-wise into 4 segments, and use a vegetable peeler to cut the segments into 3/4" cubes.

* Cut off and discard stalks from chard. If ribs are more than 1/2" thick, cut off and discard. Coarsely chop chard to yield 4 loosely packed cups.

* In large pot over medium heat, saute bacon until crisp 3-4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. drippings in pot. When hot, add onion; saute, stirring , until golden, 3 minutes.

* Add broth; bring to simmer. Add squash and pasta: cook until tender, 12-15 minutes. Add chard; cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt, if needed, and cayenne pepper. Serve with bacon and cheese for garnishes.

Makes 6 servings.


Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
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Ingredients

1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch) diced
Good olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Good with a steak, pork, or grilled chicken.


Butternut Squash Chowder - Best Soup/Chowder I've ever made... and I've made some good ones!
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Serves 6

1/2 pound smoked bacon, diced small
1/2 cup onion, diced small
2 tablespoons garlic peeled and minced
1/2 cup celery, diced small
1 cup carrots, peeled and diced medium
1/2 cup flour
1 bay leaf
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced medium
1 cup sweet potatoes peeled and diced medium
3 cups chicken stock (I used home-canned chicken broth)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced small
1-2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauce pot with 1 tablespoon of oil, render the bacon on low heat until crispy.

Add carrots, onions, celery, garlic, and bay leaf; sweat for 5-10 minutes. Do not brown vegetables.

Season with salt and pepper. Add flour to make the roux, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add squash, sweet potatoes, red bell peppers and thyme. Simmer for 20 minutes or until squash and sweet potatoes are tender. Use a stick blender and mash about half the vegetables for a creamier soup, optional.

Add heavy cream and simmer for another 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Variations: You can add corn, shellfish, tomatoes or any other vegetable you like. (I wouldn’t… it’s fabulous as it is!)