Five Days, One Pumpkin: It’s time to get seasonal

You say fall, I say pumpkin; I think it’s fair to say that the pumpkin has become something of a symbol of the season. Come Labor Day, we start indulging in everything pumpkin — pumpkin pie, pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin ale, pumpkin gelato… You name it!

But today I want to celebrate the pumpkin’s more humble cousin, the butternut squash. Although it often takes the back seat where the pumpkin steals the spotlight, there are plenty of reasons why the butternut is worth celebrating.

First of all, it’s delicious. Second, it’s ridiculously healthy. One modest cup of the stuff, contains 14% of your recommended daily Potassium, 11% of your dietary fiber, 48% of Vitamin C, and a mind-boggling 297% of your recommended Vitamin A. (And a measly total of 63 calories…) Finally, it’s super cheap. (And did I mention, delicious?) For the enjoyment of your taste buds, here are how to fill your week with butternut squash.

Bon appetit!

Monday: Grilled Squash Wedges with Spicy Scallions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Split squash in half, lengthwise, and cut into half-moon shaped wedges. Transfer to a baking tray, brush with canola oil, season, and bake for about 45 mins, or until soft and lightly browned. (If you use organic squash, there’s no need to peel it!)
2. Cut scallions and red chilies into pieces. Sauté quickly on high heat in a pan covered in canola oil. Take off heat and set aside to cool. Cut fresh cilantro into large pieces.
3. When the squash is done, transfer to a plate. Top with scallions, chilies and cilantro. Season with salt & pepper, and drizzle with balsamic reduction (or as a substitute, apple cider vinegar mixed with honey and sea salt).

Tuesday: Butternut Squash Soup

1. Cut butternut squash, yellow onion, fresh ginger, garlic, and red/green chilies (of desired heat) into pieces.
2. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds to a large pot, and roast on medium heat. (Take care to not burn the seeds!) Once the mustard seeds start popping, add canola oil to the pot. Then transfer the chopped vegetables to the pan, cover with a lid, season with salt & pepper, and cook on low-medium heat for about 30 mins, or until done.
3. Once the onion is translucent and squash is soft, add just enough boiling water to cover the vegetables.
4. Using a hand blender, puree until smooth.
5. Adjust seasoning and amount of water as desired.
6. Serve with crusty bread, or enjoy on its own!

Wednesday: Hearty Winter Squash Salad

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Split squash in half, lengthwise, and cut into half-moon shaped wedges. Transfer to a baking tray, brush with canola oil, season, and bake for about 45 mins, or until soft and lightly browned. (If you use organic squash, there’s no need to peel it!)
2. Cook grain of choice (such as brown rice/farro/wheat berries/pearled barley) in a pot with salted water until done. Set aside to cool with lid off.
3. Wash kale and cut leaves into medium pieces.
4. Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, crushed garlic, ground cumin, cayenne, salt & pepper together in a small bowl.
5. Once the squash and grains are done (and are still hot) toss everything quickly together in a large bowl. Make sure the squash doesn’t disintegrate.
6. Let sit for a couple of hours, or overnight, for the flavors to become absorbed.
7. Top with golden raisins and toasted nuts or seeds for texture and a bit or tart and sweetness to balance the deep rich flavor of the pumpkin. A finely chopped tart winter apple, like Cox’s Orange Pippin or Jonathan, also makes a fine addition to this salad.

Thursday: Thanksgiving Taco

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Split squash in half, lengthwise, and cut into half-moon shaped wedges. Transfer to a baking tray, brush with canola oil, season, and bake for about 45 mins, or until soft and lightly browned. (If you use organic squash, there’s no need to peel it!)
2. Slice red/white/yellow) onion and garlic thinly.
3. Chop fresh cilantro finely, removing the stems.
4. Toast cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant (avoid burning!). Transfer to a small bowl.
5. Add canola oil to the pan; transfer onion and garlic to pan and fry until garlic is cooked through and onion is slightly translucent but still crispy. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.
6. In a dry pan, toast yellow or white corn tortillas, on both sides, until slightly crispy and browned, but still soft enough to wrap around the fillings.
7. Assemble squash and fried onion mixture over tortillas, top with cumin seeds and cilantro. Serve with creme fraiche/sour cream/greek yogurt, and hot sauce of choice. (I’m a fan of the Louisiana variety!)

Friday: Pumpkin & Parm Pasta

1. Preheat oven to about 400 F. Split 1 butternut squash in two, lengthwise. Place halves on a large baking sheet. Top with more Parm and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Melt about 50 g butter in a pan and add 1 tbsp sage; 1 tsp paprika, a pinch of nutmeg and cayenne. Season with salt & pepper. Leave to infuse for a few minutes before pouring butter over squash halves. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the squash is soft and has a nice golden brown crust. Adjust seasoning to taste.
3. Chop 2-3 yellow onions, 5 garlic cloves & 1/2 red hot chili pepper. Transfer to a large frying pan. Melt slowly on medium heat. Season with salt & pepper.
4. Once the onion is translucent and the squash is cooked through, bring salted water to a boil and add whole wheat linguine. Cook until nearly done (pasta should be al dente, as it will finish cooking in the frying pan). While pasta is cooking, use a regular spoon to scoop out the contents of the squash, making sure it’s all coated in butter.
5. Transfer pasta and about 1 cup of cooking liquid to the frying pan & toss to coat. Add squash and grated Parmesan cheese to the pasta. (Or if you’re a broke graduate student, skip the Parm. It’s still delicious). Then mix everything together and transfer to a bowl.

Tips!

Don’t throw away the seeds! Instead, toast them lightly in a frying pan or in the oven, lightly coated in salt, seasoning, and canola oil, until crispy and lightly brown. They make a delicious topping for the soup and the salad. Or store in an air tight jar and enjoy later.

-Kajsa Djarv