THE WINTER SQUASHES ARE IN FULL DISPLAY here in mid-September at the various markets in northern Michigan.
Over the years, I have enjoyed preparing recipes utilizing Acorn and Butternut squashes when I’d either make a delicious soup or stuff them with fresh sage sausage meatballs baked to perfection and finished in a brown sugar glaze. They are welcomed every year in my fall/winter meal preparations.
My girlfriend introduced me to a new squash this past year. The oval-shaped squash (which looks like a yellow Ostrich egg) is called Spaghetti squash. Cucurbita pepo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_squash
The novelty was a bit odd, but I had my first small helping that she prepared after microwaving the whole squash for ten minutes. After being microwaved and cut in half one scoops out the seeds with a spoon and then the meat is scraped with a fork producing ribbons or strands that look like spaghetti.
My introduction had the steaming squash strands plated and topped with butter, salt, and pepper. Gosh, they were tasty! The texture was delightfully pleasing. I was impressed and became hooked on this new cultivar. My favorite recipe now features the cooked spaghetti squash with a mushroom-marinara and Parmesan cheese topping.
So, my friends, have fun experimenting in preparing one of the new squashes that are grown in the USA.
My friend also suggests piercing the skin in a few places with a fork to prevent the spaghetti squash from exploding in the microwave.
Yes, Dear.
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