Green Options » winter squash

Seasonal Foods: 5 Best Winter Vegetables

Jessica Mordo — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 22:05:08 +0000

Winter veggies usually get short shrift, but there are many reasons to savor them. They add loads of vitamins and nutrients to our diets, do wonders for our immunity, and are wonderfully versatile. Plus, eating seasonally is eating green: as it takes us back to the old days of eating only the freshest available products, it’s a more sustainable eating model and it’s better for reducing our carbon footprints.

Here’s my guide to making the most of these five fabulous winter veggies:

1. Play Squash

I actually look forward to winter just for its squash varieties. Acorn, banana, butternut, spaghetti, delicata, hubbard, sweet dumpling, buttercup, and turban squashes—not to mention pumpkin—add a colorful and sweet accent to your plate. Plus, they are among the healthiest types of complex carbohydrates (the best kind of carbs), with high fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C content. Roast ‘em, mash ‘em, or slow cook ‘em into a heaping bowl of soupy goodness for the perfect warm winter meal.

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Squash the Breakfast Blues with a Fall Quiche

Lisa Kivirist — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:51:29 +0000

Granted, winter squash isn’t typical breakfast fare. But when you’re in need of a creative new way to use that pile of butternut, acorn or any other varietal, try this out-of-the box quiche.

For quiche newbies, this is an ideal, simple recipe to start with since there is no crust. Plus it is an easy recipe to experiment with as pretty much any type of winter squash will work, including pumpkin. I’ll often steam several cleaned and cut-up squash at once, puree in the food processor and freeze in one-cup allotments in plastic bags, making for easy meal prep.

Recipe after the jump . . .

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Farmers’ Market Finale: Five Tips to Stock Up, Save Money and Eat Local Till Spring (Recipe Included)

Lisa Kivirist — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:30:01 +0000

For those who regularly shop the local farmers’ market, the last markets of the season serve up bittersweet emotions. On one hand, the amazing abundance of the fall harvest packs the stalls, from apples to acorn squash. Yet there’s also this rampant feeling of sad emptiness akin to the emotive last day of summer camp. We realistically know the growing season, at least for most parts of the country, is quickly heading to the seasonal end and our days of fresh local bounty sit numbered.

Or do they? With a little strategic planning and stock-up shopping at the final farmers’ markets, you can create your own mini market at home, continuing to savor those local flavors through the dead of winter.

Just ask Cindy Torres, manager of the Longmont Farmers’ Market outside Boulder, Colorado. Torres passionately works toward helping people, particularly county commissioners, make the connection between a healthy local food system and healthy economic development. She co-founded the Boulder County Food and Agriculture Policy Council and serves as a Food and Society Policy Fellow.

“With a little bit of planning and preparation, we can readily eat local till the spring markets start up again,” explains Torres. Here are her favorite five tips:

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Winter Squash

Stuart Stein — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:00:37 +0000

In Alexander Dumas’ distinguished Grand Dictionary de Cuisine, he includes directions on how to cook an elephant. For many people, elephant cookery is less daunting than dealing with the large category of winter squash.

Winter squashes (member of the Cuburbita family that includes cucumbers and melons) come in a plethora of varieties, shapes, sizes and colors. Despite their outward differences, winter squashes, with few exceptions, are all handled alike, at least for cooking purposes.

Winter squash can be baked whole, peeled for purées and soups, cut in half and stuffed, dried, candied or sautéed. Winter squashes are in season from September through March and can be stored in cool (50°F, 10°C) dark, and rather dry (>65% humidity) place for several months.

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