Monday, October 08, 2007

Back in the Spotlight


The colorful hues and various shapes of winter squash are breathtaking! Winter squash varieties seem more prominent and familiar today than ever before. In spite of its homely reputation, the hubbard squash can be impressive-maybe even glamourous, especially if you were born with that innate ability to create! How do we decorate this warty fellow, anyway?.....maybe just leave it for eating? That works for me!
I love roasting huge hunks of this variety, tossing it with some of my favorite fall herbs, salt and pepper and coating it with olive oil ..... baking it until it is light brown around the edges and tender to touch. Makes a wonderful side dish...
I've been told this squash will last up to six months, in whole form of course, if stored in a dry, dark area. Most of mine quickly disappear after the holidays when the centerpieces are no longer needed or glanced upon.
Isn't it wonderful to see these back in the spotlight today!
P.S. I have to tell you what I did this evening...another senior moment. I managed to pry open a medium sized acorn squash, cut it perfectly in half, scooped out all the seeds and stringy matter-you get the picture, then baked it. Just remembered two hours after dinner that I left it in the oven and forgot to serve it~ just one of those days........

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, it's nice to see the hubbards back again. Don't worry about your senior moment. It was out of site..so, out of mind :)

Jann said...

Thanks for visiting! Can you believe I would leave part of the dinner in the oven......what was I thinking..or not!!

K and S said...

at least it wasn't a delicate dessert or something that you had forgotten! or that you had forgotten to turn the oven off...this winter squash looks like kabocha (pumpkin).

Betty Carlson said...

There have been so many great squash posts and recipes out there this week! I can't wait to cook some...

Caffienated Cowgirl said...

I am a big fan of winter squash...the more unusual the better.

And LOL about leaving the acorn squash in the oven...we all have those days :o)

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Jann my husband's most frequently asked question when we sit down to a meal is
"Is there anything left on the stove or in the oven?" alternated with
"Is there anything you've forgotten?"
I love the squash! all of them.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

A local restaurant chef told me that the best way to open a Blue Hubbard is to drop it on the ground (a hard driveway or outdoor patio is best)!

Simona Carini said...

What a lovely photo, Jann! Just back from the market Ballaro' in Palermo: I've seen some interesting vegetables. Too bad I don't have a kitchen here.

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

Jann - that's a beautiful photo. Those squash are so mysterious looking!

Katie Zeller said...

What an interesting squash! Can't say as I've seen that one around here. I'm roasting some butternut for dinner - I'll try not to forget it....

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

That is beautiful! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who does things like that. My mum says I have more senior moments than she does!

Cynthia said...

Jann, I've had that same sort of thing happened to me too! Were you upset? I was vex with myself because I felt the meal was incomplete (lol)

winedeb said...

Hi Jann, since you stopped by my site to visit, I thought I would hop right on over to see you! The squash is beautiful! The colors are so different. I must say I do not think I have seen one of these. Your photos are very nice! I will be back!
Cheers!

Anonymous said...

I am so pleased too to have plentiful of squashes to choose from now that it is fall!

deedee said...

I forget things in the oven all the time. Thank goodness mine shuts off automatically after 2 hours.

Blame It on Paris said...

Jann, I did something even worse! I forgot it altogether until I was preheating the oven to 400 for something the next day. I started smelling burning, but I thought, Oh, something must have spilled on the floor of the oven, I wonder how that happened. And only when I opened the oven again to slide in whatever new thing I was cooking did I discover my beautiful acorn squash--burned black. Since I had been trying to do a little brown sugar thing with them, it took me forever to get the blackened caramel off the bottom of the pan.

They were squash from a CSA, too. Somehow that made me feel guilty for wasting someone else's labor on top of regret for my own loss of squash!

Anonymous said...

Autumn meals are my favorite!

Helene said...

I can nver keep them long eough for centerpieces...I keep roasting away!
I forgot a batch of meringues in the oven to dry way too many times after I had turn it on to 400F for something else

Unknown said...

What a wonderful photo, Jann! I visited your Web site yesterday and was very impressed with that, too! You are an accomplished woman.