Winter Squash: Autumn's Bounty

By: Cheri Browne | November 18 2011
Posted in Eugene - Cook It - Eugene

Photo by: Cheri Browne

Autumn sure does go out with a bang, leaving us with a spectacular show of vibrant colors splashed across the trees, soaked up in our root vegetables, and on the squash vines in our dying gardens. Those hearty roots and ornate squashes help us begin the dreary winter season with a bowl or fork full of comfort. They’re sweet and filling, making them a perfect ingredient or feature of nourishing home-cooked meals. Along with the rooty delights of beets, carrots and potatoes, winter squash can add a nourishing punch to slow-cooked stews, soups and roasted side dishes.

There are many different types of winter squash, ranging in color from pale yellow to bright orange and dark green. Some are ribbed, some are smooth, and their shapes also vary from round and long, to pear shaped, to flat and bulbous. The one thing they all have in common is the color of their flesh, which is usually between a light yellow and bright orange. Here are a few of the more popular varieties along with some ideas on how to prepare them:

Acorn squash: This common wintertime staple is shaped like, as you can guess, an acorn. Its skin is ribbed and is usually colored dark green, which fades into orange. It is delicious when it’s baked with a generous pat of butter and brown sugar, or olive oil and salt and pepper.

Delicata squash: This vitamin-packed pale yellow and green striped squash is sometimes called “sweet potato squash” due to its rich, sweet orange flesh. These are excellent squashes for stuffing and baking as they hold their oblong shape well. They’re also an excellent choice for steaming with root vegetables and adding to soups.

Butternut squash: These soft yellow squashes are large and long with smooth skin. These are more commonly used in soups due to their creamy texture. They are also delicious in curries and breads.

Spaghetti squash: This unique, yellow, oval-shaped squash is famous for its stringy flesh that resembles spaghetti after it’s been baked and scraped out with a fork. A delicious alternative to traditional pastas, its nutritional value is off the charts when paired with a hearty sauce. It’s also a great addition to casseroles.

Check out these easy recipes on The Local Dish for some delicious and comforting meal ideas:

Butternut Squash Soup
Stuffed Delicata Squash

Cheri Browne is a writer, reveler of Southern Oregon and enamored connoisseur of all things West Coast.