Over summer I moved and downsized, so vegetable produce was limited. Luckily it was a bonus year for squash. At Fall parties gardeners brought their abundance of winter squash to share. Winter squash is the United Nations of vegetable in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Winter squash have many health benefits from boosting our immune system to helping to lower inflammation in our bodies. I have to admit that prior to trying to eat in season I had primarily eaten pumpkin in desserts and roasted the seeds. Since I have been trying to eat in season I have been experimenting with winter squash recipes.
My favorite is still Winter Squash seeds roasted in the oven with seasoning salt and oil at 350 F for 45 stirring every 15 minutes.
My next favorite is a squash soup that tastes very much like mulligatawny soup.
Squash Soup
Cut the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and set them aside to roast. Bake face down 375F for 45 minutes. After baked and cool scoop out pulp from the skin.
Next cook one chopped onion until it is translucent then blend the squash pulp and onions until smooth.
In a sauce pan add 6 cups of the squash and blended onion, a carton of vegetable stock, 3 Tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon clove, a heaping spoon of ginger garlic paste, a couple cranks of black pepper. Once it boils, turn down heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Then take off the heat and add a can of coconut milk stir and serve. I add some rice and cilantro.
Squash Hummus
Bake squash as above.
2 cups cooked squash, 2 cups chickpeas (my friend from Afghanistan gave me the tip to soak the chickpeas over night in warm water with a teaspoon of baking soda) boiled to soft, 4 Tablespoons tahini, 3 cloves garlic, 3 teaspoons cayenne powder , 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 3 Tablespoons Olive oil and juice of a lemon or lime in the blender.
