Cooking for the Holidays:
Winter Squashes, Mini Pumpkins,
Potatoes and Garlic
Printer Friendly VersionWhen the days grow short and get dark early and blustery weather sets in, it's time to tuck in the garden beds, oil and store the tools, and generally take a break from outside chores.
Even in my relatively mild climate where I can garden 9 months of the year, the fall plantings are settled in to overwinter, bulbs are planted and I can turn my attention to the holidays ahead. As a dedicated kitchen gardener, the season's festivities are the perfect time to enjoy some of the vegetables and herbs I've grown and harvested in autumn for satisfying winter meals.
My storage crops of hard-shelled winter squash, miniature pumpkins, garlic and potatoes make wonderful cold-weather feasts to enjoy with family and friends.
Winter Squashes
Winter squashes like butternut and buttercup are not only deliciously nutty and sweet, but also terrific sources of fiber and the sunshine vitamin A that is often in short supply in winter. They are easy to cook up in a variety of simple and fine-flavored dishes both sweet and savory. For holiday meals, a casserole of baked squash is a family favorite. Wash a whole squash, 7 or 8 inches in diameter, and cut 5 or 6 slits in the top and sides. Put it in a 375° F oven for an hour (or microwave for about 30-40 minutes) until the flesh is soft and tender. Cool and cut open. Remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh. Mash up the flesh with a potato masher adding in real maple syrup or honey, a generous sprinkling of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and a dollop of sweet butter. Pack into a pretty deep casserole dish, dot with a few more teaspoons of butter and bake in a 350° F oven for about 25 minutes or until the squash has thickened and begins to brown on the edges.
Winter squash also pairs beautifully with the savory flavor of sage. For an Italian-style holiday treat, try this squash dish to complement holiday roast pork, goose, or turkey. You'll find the slow cooking process brings out all the sugars of the sweet squash to combine deliciously with aromatic sage. Remove the rind and seeds from butternut or buttercup squash and cut the flesh in 1-inch chunks until you have about 3 cups. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet and add a large clove of garlic, finely chopped. Toss in the squash chunks and cook very slowly, stirring often, for about 25-30 minutes until the squash is golden and tender. (Add a spoon or two of water during cooking if the squash begins to stick.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and then add in a generous tablespoon of chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons of crumbled dry sage. Mix well and serve piping hot. This dish has a rich flavor and heavenly aroma that will entice even vegetable shy diners.
Mini Pumpkins
Savory Potatoes
Winter Squashes
Winter squashes like butternut and buttercup are not only deliciously nutty and sweet, but also terrific sources of fiber and the sunshine vitamin A that is often in short supply in winter. They are easy to cook up in a variety of simple and fine-flavored dishes both sweet and savory. For holiday meals, a casserole of baked squash is a family favorite. Wash a whole squash, 7 or 8 inches in diameter, and cut 5 or 6 slits in the top and sides. Put it in a 375° F oven for an hour (or microwave for about 30-40 minutes) until the flesh is soft and tender. Cool and cut open. Remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh. Mash up the flesh with a potato masher adding in real maple syrup or honey, a generous sprinkling of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and a dollop of sweet butter. Pack into a pretty deep casserole dish, dot with a few more teaspoons of butter and bake in a 350° F oven for about 25 minutes or until the squash has thickened and begins to brown on the edges.
Winter squash also pairs beautifully with the savory flavor of sage. For an Italian-style holiday treat, try this squash dish to complement holiday roast pork, goose, or turkey. You'll find the slow cooking process brings out all the sugars of the sweet squash to combine deliciously with aromatic sage. Remove the rind and seeds from butternut or buttercup squash and cut the flesh in 1-inch chunks until you have about 3 cups. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet and add a large clove of garlic, finely chopped. Toss in the squash chunks and cook very slowly, stirring often, for about 25-30 minutes until the squash is golden and tender. (Add a spoon or two of water during cooking if the squash begins to stick.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and then add in a generous tablespoon of chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons of crumbled dry sage. Mix well and serve piping hot. This dish has a rich flavor and heavenly aroma that will entice even vegetable shy diners.
