Winter squash

Most of the things I am picky about (or was picky about before this experience) were things I had tried or at least seen prepared on a regular basis. But the latest thing I am moving into the like category is not something I've even been in a situation to try until the last year or so. But now I am wondering where winter squash has been all my life.

So far I've gotten delicata squash and carnival squash and I enjoyed both of them. Last week for dinner I found directions for cooking the carnival squash in the microwave. I mashed it up, added some butter and brown sugar and thoroughly enjoyed it and especially liked that it only took 15 minutes. 

I still had two carnival squashes left, and I went searching for recipes all week. I found two recipes for soup and then made it up as I went along, and it actually turned out really well.

Here's my rough recipe (I'll probably be eating it all week):

• 2 carnival squash
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 small potato, chopped
• 4 green beans, cut in small pieces
• 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
• Salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
• 1/2 cup of half and half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut top off squash, remove seeds, drizzle with olive oil and salt, roast for 45 minutes. Once cooled, scoop out pulp and put in food processor. Process as much as you want or don't. I only pulsed it a few times, I don't like completely pureed soup.

Saute onion in butter in the bottom of a dutch oven or other heavy pot until translucent. Add potato, green beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in squash and seasonings and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes. Add cream and let it simmer for another few minutes. 

The soup was good, but my other favorite thing is the seeds. I let them dry out, then coat them with olive oil, add salt and roast at 275 degrees for 15 minutes.

Winter squash was one of the things I had been worried about, but now I can't get enough. The other bonus is it doesn't go bad as long as it hasn't been cut. I'm excited to see what variety I'll get this week.