Garden 30 Oct 2006 12:06 pm
So, 9 pounds of acorn squash walks into a bar
I’ve just harvested 8.8 pounds of acorn squash. No idea what to do with them. I’m not really a winter squash person, I think; a neighbor gave us a seed start, and the vines just grew like crazy. My friend Ian suggests that I start by building a really big slingshot.
These squashes are such satisfying objects that I’d like to learn to enjoy eating them.
Fava beans are coming up well; gorgeous scarlet runner seeds have almost all ripened; harvested six pumpkins in various stages of ripeness, the largest of which is about 43 inches around; brought in the tiny Swallow eggplants, all of which together came to about 8 oz.
In other news, I started coughing on September 7 and still haven’t quite stopped. It’s just been relapse after relapse. Very annoying. I think I’m finally on the tail end of this. Of course, I’ve thought that before. If you’ve wondered, “Where’s Cam?” the answer is, “Hacking up a lung.” So attractive.
on 30 Oct 2006 at 12:20 pm 1.Amare said …
I’ll take some off your hands if you’re looking to get rid of them, I love acorn squash.
on 30 Oct 2006 at 3:36 pm 2.wolffire said …
The easiest way I know to deal with such squash is to cut it in half, scoop out its slimy and seedy insides, then bake it at 375-400 degrees F for at least 35 minutes (might need longer depending on how think the flesh is). The important, really important, tip is to put about an inch of water at the bottom of the baking dish and cover the whole thing with tin foil. That steam makes it much easier to take the peel off should you want to for including the squash in some other recipe.
on 31 Oct 2006 at 3:23 pm 3.Ted said …
I keep waiting for the punchline.
9 pounds of acorn squash walks into a bar. The bartender looks the squash over, pours a beer and sets it in front of the squash. The squash nods, puts a five-dollar bill on the bar, and walks out without drinking the beer.
Further down the bar, a pretty redhead is drinking alone. She calls the bartender over and whispers in his ear. He laughs and nods, then places a call to the fire department.
on 31 Oct 2006 at 7:09 pm 4.Cam Sculpin said …
“Arr, it’s driving me nuts!”
(The rest of the joke is left as an exercise for the reader. At least, it’s left for Ted, who’s doing pretty well as it is.)
on 31 Oct 2006 at 9:50 pm 5.alex said …
Do you like mushrooms? One of my favorite fall dinners is to stuff squash with a good mushroom risotto. The mushrooms aren’t so hot this year, but there are still some good ones at the farmer’s market.
on 31 Oct 2006 at 11:39 pm 6.mizducky said …
My favorite way of enjoying winter squash is simply roasting/baking it as wolffire says. I usually don’t bother with the water or foil, though–I actually like the air-roasted texture. I season the squash with salt and pepper before roasting–winter squash is so sweet on its own, I never quite understand why so many recipes drown it in sugary stuff.
on 06 Nov 2006 at 6:29 am 7.Devon said …
You can also use just about any squash instead of pumpkin for a pie.