Winter Squash

There is great diversity in the winter squashes, and I'll try to treat them fairly, but expect to see regular additions to this page.  

Like Pie Pumpkins, I almost always start by washing and roasting the whole squash, unless I want chunks. From there, all manner of soups, stews, mashes, stuffings, custards, and fritters. Using whatever spices and flavorings strike my fancy on a given day. 

The thing about really good winter squashes is that they are more similar than different. The ones I like best are small to medium sized, with dense, dry, sweet flesh, with flavors ranging from chestnut to a bland meatiness.  I particularly like the (very) chestnut-y squashes from Edo-era Japan, and the sweet meaty squashes of the Mediterranean.  

What's most fascinating to me is that squash is native to the Americas so all of this world diversity of squashes has happened since squashes started being exported from here in the early 16th century. 

Winter Squashes improve in flavor after it's quite cold:

October 10 - December 1