We are deep into fall. Thanksgiving is upon us, with the thought of Christmas already present. The air has gone cool, the heat is turned on, and socks are always on as I putter around the house. The oven avoidance that is common in our house during the summer months is long gone and the season of roasting and baking is here. Squash has always been one of those things I have been unsure of, the idea of a plain and slightly mushy slice of roasted squash has no appeal. It used to be that the thought of squash meant a beeline for butternut, but nowadays you can find all sorts of sizes, shapes and colors with intriguing names such as delicata and kabocha.
The web is filled with lots of great ideas for turning these fall staples into a delicious ingredient for everything from pizzas to salads to desserts. Here are some recent finds that have made their way into my recipe files, with a few other fun tidbits thrown in.
The very first recipe I ever tried from famous food blog Smitten Kitchen, squash toasts with ricotta and cider vinegar. All I can say is PLEASE don’t skip the mint!
I just made this pizza last week from local blogger Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean. Delicata squash & kale come together with sausage, gorgonzola and candied walnuts to create total deliciousness!
This is another squash and kale combo that it is made all the more yummy with maple roasted pumpkin seeds, haven’t made it in awhile and now its going back into the rotation.
Butternut squash soup does not normally excite me, but the thought of dressing it up a couple of ways as seen in this post from Hither & Thither has me putting the soup back onto my to-do list this month.
This Kabocha Squash Soup with Candied Pepitas came into my inbox just this morning…the gorgeous photos alone are motivation to make it.
I thought this tart from Better Homes & Gardens looked interesting, butternut squash with a mix of savory and sweet and a bit of orange peel and whipped cream to finish it off has me intrigued.
Squash is a great accompaniment to brussel sprouts; I think the combination presented here, with the added tartness of cranberry and a drizzle of vinaigrette would make a great Thanksgiving side dish.
Given that pumpkin IS a squash, I had to include this salad. Looks delicious…
This kabocha squash creme fraiche pie was in Sunset magazine last year and I made it for Thanksgiving. It was delicious, although a little too sweet. When I try it again I think I would cut back the sugar a bit.
And just for fun…
I couldn’t resist how cute these TINY little squash beads are!
As I am looking forward to 2016 I am starting to think of things I want to do and learn, and embroidery has been crossing my mind. I came across this cross stitch pattern inspired by a vintage print and thought it was lovely.
A few gorgeous fall displays with pumpkins…
In case you need a bit more motivation to add winter squash into your diet, here are some nutritional facts that may give you a push in the right direction.
Enjoy!
Photo Credits:
Top row from left to right: red squirrel, Edith Maracle via Flickr. Old stone wall via Dawna Moore Photography. Autumn framed, haRee via Flickr. Acorns, Liz West via Flickr.
Middle row from left to right: Maple leaf, PepOmint via Flickr. Squashed, Capricorn Cringe via Flickr. Robin, Edd’s Images via Flickr. Acorn squash 1, Oregon Department of Agriculture via Flickr.
Bottom row from left to right: Autumn Veg, TheCameraGirls via Flickr. Bridge to fall, via freestock.ca. California cones, Ron Lute via Flickr. Maple buckets and old truck, Putneypics via Flickr.
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