Right now we are in winter squash season! I’m not just talking about all of the pumpkins we see around town. Go to any market right now and you’ll notice that there are many varieties of delectable, hard-shelled squash available in our area. Many of them might seem new to you since the number of hard-shelled squash varieties has increased dramatically over the years.

Some of my favorites are also the most popular and easily available: butternut, sweet dumpling, delicata and buttercup. These squashes are excellent sources of potassium, manganese, vitamin B6, and magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C and all the carotenes, especially beta-carotene. At less than $1 per pound, all of them are worth tasting. When selecting a squash, make sure that the shell and stem are hard, as you don’t want one that you can press your nail into the skin. Store in a well-ventilated, dry area. I tend to use mine as autumn decorations on my counter and then cook them up when I need them for a meal! These days you can even buy squash pre-cut into small pieces.

This type of squash can be microwaved or baked by cutting them in half, scraping out the seeds (you can save them for toasting) and placing the two halves flesh side down on a baking pan. Add some water to the baking dish. If you are microwaving, it it will take four to six minutes for a small squash, five to eight minutes for a medium one and 12 to 16 minutes for a large piece. I prefer baking them in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. If you decide to make a soup, peel and cut the squash into 2-inch chunks and steam for about 15 minutes. I’ve already developed an easy recipe for Spaghetti Squash. Here’s a favorite way to prepare butternut squash that doesn’t last long in my house:

Baked Butternut Squash

You will need:

Butternut squash
Seasoning salt
Flour
Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Diced garlic
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel, seed and cut up your butternut squash into one inch cubes.

Put flour and seasoning salt in a paper bag. Toss the squash cubes into the bag, shake and coat with the flour mixture.

Pour out the cubes onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the cubes and toss to lightly coat.

Put in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. The squash will start to puff up.

Take out pan and reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Sprinkle garlic and cheese on the squash. Use metal spatula to toss the cubes.

Put back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes until squash is tender.

Enjoy!

By Deborah Binder

Deborah Binder lives in Edmonds with her family. She is “dancing with N.E.D.” (no evidence of disease) after being diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in 2009. She is a foodie who loves to cook from scratch and share here experiments with her family. She attended culinary school on the East Coast and currently chef assists at PCC Cooks and NuCulinary Cooking School. Her current interest in food is learning to eat for health and wellness, while at the same time enjoying the pleasures of the table. As Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation including butter.” Deborah can be contacted at jaideborah@yahoo.com.