Food Name: Squash (Winter)

includes  pumpkin, butternut, acorn etc.

Nutritional Information:

This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium and Magnesium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese.

Fun Food Facts:

More than just a festive touch on the front porch, pumpkin is actually good for you. A great source of antioxidant carotenoids, pumpkin provides a day's worth of these protective pigments in just a half-cup serving. It also provides fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and phosphorus, all while being low in calories: only 49 in a cup of the cooked flesh. Choose a pumpkin that is unblemished, has no decay spots, and has a bit of the stem in place. While most pumpkins sold in North America are used for Halloween decorations and pumpkin pie, pumpkin is versatile – look for recipes that use pumpkin in soup, bread, risotto, pancakes, pudding, smoothies, and more. And steamed pumpkin is a wonderful substitute for winter squash or sweet potatoes in a variety of dishes. Enjoy!

Simple from Scratch:

If you don’t have all of the ingredients, don’t worry.  It’s soup!  Anything goes.

And you can always try simply adding the squash into your favorite soup.

CREAMED SQUASH SOUP (for any kind of winter squash – acorn, butternut, pumpkin)

2 T butter or marg

2 med onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 lbs squash, peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes

1 or 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

3 cups broth

1 cup unsweetened apple juice or cider (can always sub water if unavailable)

1 Tblsp finely minced gingerroot, divided (can always sub ginger powder if necessary)

1 cup milk

nutmeg garnish optional

In a stockpot, melt butter/marg over med heat.  Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until lightly browned.

Add squash, apples, broth and juice.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover pot, simmer for 20 minutes until squash is tender

Puree in 3 batches in a blender or food processor adding a third of the gingerroot to each batch.

Transfer puree back to saucepan, stir in milk, heat through but do not boil.  Adjust seasonings, serve with nutmeg if desired.

Curried Squash Soup

2 lbs winter squash
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1.5 cups chopped onion
.5 cup chopped celery
1 large sweet apple
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon curry powder or to taste
5 cups broth (bouillon can be used)
1 bay leaf
1 cup buttermilk (can mix half yogurt, half water to sub for buttermilk in recipes)
2 tsp lemon juice

They suggest baking the squash separately which wouldn’t work with a thawed one. So, instead, peel, remove seeds, chop coarsely and put into soup. It will be pureed at the end. Melt butter in saucepan, add onion, celery, apple, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes over low heat stirring occasionally. Add flavorings, broth and squash and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. In batches puree in a blender or food processor. Return soup to saucepan, add buttermilk (yogurt/water) and lemon juice. Adjust seasonings, heat the soup through but do not boil.

From Good Food Gourmet, by Jane Brody

Other recipes:

Pumpkin Bread (Low Sugar)
Ingredients:
2 -1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder 2 tsp
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup Golden brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh apple cider
1/3 Roasted pumpkin (cooled)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add the dry ingredients slowly to the large bowl and mix until blended. Do not over beat. Pour the batter into a 9-inch loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes until the tester comes out clean. You may find that the interior of the bread is taking longer than anticipated. If this happens simply cover the dish with foil to protect the top of the bread from getting too brown and keep cooking.

Pumpkin Pickles

This is for any canners out there, but of course the pickles can be made and kept in the refrigerator until they reach the desired amount of “pickling.”
7 cups pumpkin cut, cored, peeled and diced
2 sticks cinnamon
15 cloves
2-1/3 cups 4% vinegar
2-1/3 cups sugar

Instructions:

Steam the pumpkin cubes until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Put the spices in a tea ball. Simmer them with the vinegar and sugar for 15 minutes. Simmer the pumpkin cubes in this syrup for 3 minutes. Set aside for 24 hours. Start water boiling in a canner. Heat the pumpkin/syrup mix and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the spices and pack into 7 ½-pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes, counting from when the water returns to a full boil.