We are butternut squash fanatics. If there is one thing to love about the end of summer, it's seeing these beige beauties ripen on the vine in the garden, or stacked in the produce section in huge crates like the pumpkins that have come early. I love them, and will take them any way - steamed, mashed, in souffles, as part of risotto, creamed into soups, or pureed for a pasta filling. It's absolutely worth the work cutting through the hard shell...the fleshy inside is sweet, and when cooked becomes soft, rich, caramelized and substantial. It pairs nicely with butter and spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, anise, ginger, cumin, nutmeg, paprika, sage...the list goes on (as I'm discovering)...it depends on whether you are looking for sweet or savory. Either way, the flavor will be bold. I've served it as a main course, a side dish, and as a dessert. Fantastic vegetable. <3 Here are a few of my favorite recipes:
This is actually a soup that I found thick enough to serve over pasta...my son had some friends over and they ate this for lunch...BOYS even!!!
I made another soup this evening...the recipe really surprised me as the flavor changed intensely at each step...love the addition of bacon on top when serving, which completely balanced the honey in the recipe.
And, my favorite recipe of all, the
Butternut Squash Souffle, which was one of the first foods I have ever blogged about.
I wasn't properly introduced to the butternut until a few years ago...didn't even know what it was until I had been in this country for probably 10 years. This squash and I have some catching up to do!!! Enjoy!
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